Nepal's 2023 Global Hunger Index Progress and Ongoing Challenges

The 16th Edition of the 2023 Global Hunger Index has recently been published, showing that Nepal is placed 69th among the 125 nations evaluated. This indicates an impressive improvement compared to their 81st rank in 2022. Scoring 15.0 points on a 0-100 scale, Nepal is classified under the moderate hunger category, where zero denotes no hunger and 100 signifies extreme hunger levels. The average worldwide score for 2023 was 17.2 which shows the world is facing a moderate level of hunger, like Nepal.

In recent years, Nepal has consistently progressed in battling hunger. Back in 2014, their score was 21.2, which decreased to 19.1 in 2022. The prior year's GHI report ranked Nepal in the 81st position out of a total of 121 countries with enough data for score calculation. Despite the always-occurring political instability and not so long ago, now-resolved, a civil conflict involving Maoists and government groups, this positive trajectory highlights Nepal's dedication and determination to curb hunger and malnutrition. Likewise, Sri Lanka, another South Asian nation, has made significant headway, ranking 60th.

For those unaware, the Global Hunger Index (GHI) measures and monitors hunger on a global, regional, and national scale. It covers three aspects of hunger: insufficient food supply, children's nutritional deficiencies, and child mortality rates (primarily due to malnutrition). The ratings are founded on four main indicators: undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting, and child mortality. This report is prepared every year.

In 2023, a total of 136 countries were selected for GHI assessment; however, due to inadequate data for evaluation, only 125 countries received rankings – a slight growth from the previous year's count of 121 countries. Rankings could not be given for the remaining eleven countries but they were carefully categorized by severity level—one as low, one as moderate, and three as alarming. In six instances, provisional classifications could not be determined.

The 2023 GHI report also mentions the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security and nutrition especially among vulnerable countries, mainly in Asia and Africa, where some countries, specified as 43 in the report, are facing alarming rates of food shortage and hunger. It highlights poverty, inequality, poor governance, conflicts, etc. to be the root causes of hunger and asks all countries to take immediate action. The more privileged countries should increase funding and backing for humanitarian aid, social welfare programs, and other initiatives to fight hunger.

Nepal's progress within the Global Hunger Index signifies a considerable accomplishment. However, the challenge to eliminate hunger persists. Issues such as poverty, limited access to nutritious food, and less-than-ideal healthcare demand immediate attention. Moreover, because of its geographic landscape and insufficient road infrastructure, Nepal struggles to distribute food to remote communities. Throughout developing or underdeveloped nations like Nepal, it is vital to acknowledge the collective responsibility required to tackle hunger on regional and global scales. United efforts are essential in building a world devoid of hunger, where all individuals have the chance to thrive.