Successes in the fight against global hunger

Number of starving people declined significantly
Since the beginning of the new millennium, the number of starving people worldwide has dropped significantly. Despite the improvement in the situation, it is far too early for an all-clear. According to experts, the situation is still serious in around a quarter of all countries.

Proportion of malnourished people has dropped
In the first 15 years of this millennium, the number of starving people worldwide has dropped significantly. However, according to the report of the International Food and Drug Development Research Institute, the Global Hunger Index 2015 (WHI), the figure of 795 million malnourished people is still unbearable. Since 2000, the proportion of malnourished people in the world has fallen from 18.5 percent to 13.1 percent. The hunger situation worldwide remains "serious".

Fewer and fewer people in the world are starving, yet hundreds of millions remain affected. (Image: Win Nondakowit / fotolia.)

Growth delays in children
In the current report, the previously used indicator "child underweight" has been replaced by the components "growth retardation in children" and "child wasting". Under-or malnutrition in children requires millions of deaths annually, as studies have shown. According to the current index, the growth retardation of children due to hunger decreased from 37.5 to 28.2 percent. The mortality rate for children under the age of five dropped from 8.2 to 4.9 percent. Since the beginning of the 21st century, 600,000 people have died of famine. This figure was "still disturbing, but historically low". Among other things, "the introduction of international human rights standards and progressive globalization are some of the key factors that could put an end to famines once and for all," the report said.

Seriously location in every fourth country
Especially in South America, Asia and Eastern Europe, the situation has improved significantly according to the long-term study. But in 52 countries, and thus in around one in four countries in the world, the situation remains "serious" or "very serious". Above all, the African continent continues to be affected by famine. According to reports, the worst situation is in Chad, Zambia and the Central African Republic. A total of 17 countries worldwide were able to improve their situation by 50 percent or more compared to the year 2000. According to "zeit.de", the ten nations in which the biggest decreases in hunger were reached are Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Kyrgyzstan, Croatia, Latvia, Mongolia, Peru, Ukraine and Venezuela. The experts were unable to comment on some countries due to missing data. These include Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, the Comoros, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan. These are countries where widespread malnutrition can be assumed. (Ad)