Approximately over 52 Million Face Food Insecurity in Bangladesh

A startling revelation by five United Nations (UN) agencies has found regarding the food insecurity in Bangladesh. According to their recent report, over 52 million individuals in the country are facing varying degrees of food insecurity, with a concerning 18.7 million people suffering from the most severe form.

These five UN agencies—Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Program (WFP), and World Health Organization (WHO), These agencies collectively published the report as the title- ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’ last Wednesday(12 July).

This report underlines a concerning increase in food insecurity across the country in the last six years. Specifically, since 2016, the number of people experiencing severe to moderate food insecurity has surged by nearly 1.8 million.

The report characterizes acute food crisis as a condition where individuals run out of food, resulting in days of hunger and subsequent severe health risks. Conversely, moderate food insecurity is when individuals face uncertainty in accessing adequate food supply, often having to cut down their food consumption or compromise on the quality and quantity of available food.

In the report mentioned also, te Covid-19 pandemic has amplified the global food crisis, with more than 122 million people being pushed into severe food insecurity in 2019. Henceforth the current rate of increase in worldwide hunger. The UN report suggests that the goal of ending hunger by 2030, as per the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), appears increasingly unlikely. Instead, the report forecasts an additional 600 million individuals grappling with hunger by 2030.

In Bangladesh specifically, the number of people in moderate to severe food insecurity has risen from 50.9 million in the period 2014-2016 to 52.7 million between 2020 and 2022.

However, it’s noteworthy that while the number of people facing moderate food insecurity has increased, and the number facing severe food insecurity has seen a decline from 20.9 million in 2016 to 18.7 million in 2022.

In the report food insecurity’s detrimental effects on human health, specifically child nutrition, were also highlighted. 

An estimated 3.9 million children under five in Bangladesh are facing stunted growth due to inadequate nutrition.

The report also warns of future risks due to climate change, with 22% of rural households in Bangladesh already affected by floods and 16% suffering from river erosion. These environmental hazards contribute significantly to the food insecurity issue.