Burundi, Eritrea, East Timor top global hunger index
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Sixteen countries have alarming levels of hunger, with Burundi the worst affected, according to an annual index released on Monday which also reveals that 2 billion people worldwide suffer from
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Sixteen countries have alarming levels of hunger, with Burundi the worst affected, according to an annual index released on Monday which also reveals that 2 billion people worldwide suffer from “hidden hunger”.
Hidden hunger, which is a lack of vitamins and minerals, weakens the immune system, stunts physical and intellectual growth, and can lead to death.
Burundi, which tops the Global Hunger Index for the third year in a row, is followed by Eritrea, East Timor and Comoros.
Some 805 million people around the world are still chronically undernourished, according to the report, despite progress in combating hunger – three years ago, the index recorded 26 countries with “alarming” or “extremely alarming” hunger levels.
South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa face the highest levels of hunger.
Countries showing the largest improvement since 1990 include Angola, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chad, Ghana, Malawi, Niger, Rwanda, Thailand and Vietnam.
The report said hidden hunger not only affects the well-being of individuals, but also has economic impacts, including lost productivity, persistent poverty, and reduced gross domestic product in many developing countries.
“Particularly in countries facing a high burden of malnutrition, hidden hunger goes hand in hand with other forms of malnutrition and cannot be addressed in isolation,” said Bärbel Dieckmann, president of German aid agency Welthungerhilfe.
“In the long-term, people cannot break out of the vicious cycle of poverty and malnutrition without being granted the basic right to nutritious food,” he said in a statement.
The index, now in its ninth year, combines three indicators – the proportion of the population that is undernourished, the proportion of young children who are underweight and the mortality rate for under-fives.
Among its recommendations, the report calls for an increase in numbers of nutrition and health experts, improved access to local markets and the development of local food processing facilities.
The report, compiled by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Welthungerhilfe, and Concern Worldwide is released ahead of World Food Day on October 16.
It comes a week after the Food and Agriculture Organization announced world food prices had hit a four-year low following a record high forecast for global wheat production in 2014.
(Reporting By Kieran Guilbert. Editing by Emma Batha.)
Tes October 16, 2014
Viva Eritrea, number two wow! Again the best in all the bad and unwanted. The only thing you need to do is that do lap jumping to take Burundi place . I AM SURE YOU HAVE NO SLEEP UNTIL YOU TALK YOUR RIGHT PLACE. SELFRELIANCE haha self inflicted disaster or say it susaidal. What can I say I have no complaints
Wadbahar October 16, 2014
Hunger or famine cannot be natural; as some might think or innocently put in some of their comments. It is most of the time man-made. If some of us have drought in mind as a natural cause of famine, it should be made clear that drought was sometimes common in the history of the West but it has never led to famine as always happen in Africa. Then it is the mismanagement of drought by the government that is the cause of hunger or famine; not drought itself. If the country has an early warning system which tells in advance about rain-failure for the government to make early arrangements of storing food for the bad days (this is the responsibility of the government), if there is good storage in the country, and if there is a good network of roads and transportation facilities connecting the country (all villages, towns, cities, provinces, districts etc.) to distribute food in case of crop failure, drought cannot cause famine. Of course the early warning system is a very expensive technology for our countries, as some would argue. However, it is more affordable than the purchases of sophisticated weapons used to suppress the people or the construction of prisons or the maintenance of an army of intelligence officers and spies to control the people.
Therefore, hunger or famine is in most cases man-made as explained above. Again, the central issue is the economic and political institutions in the country (as I tried to explain in my previous comment) with the question being: Are they ready for drought or any other natural calamity? This explains that the cause of hunger or famine in Eritrea is the government, its institutions of coercion, and its anti-people policies.
ሓውኻ ኣበይ ኣሎ? October 16, 2014
Wadbahar, Baharka lesne
In Eritrea, we don’t have an institutional government, what we have is a socially sick dictator that runs the country on destructive way. All aspects of Eritrean peoples’ life is badly affected by his adventitious decisions.
Wadbahar October 17, 2014
ሓውኻ ኣበይ ኣሎ?:
Bahar Kulena Rabi Lesneya, Sane Noska Wawadsab Sane.
Genet-orginal October 17, 2014
Wadbahar
Well done! Rightly stated.
Wadbahar October 17, 2014
Genet-original:
Thank you for the nice words and encouragement. Of course, as you could easily observe, some will change their names every now and then and try to be rude whenever they read things that break their bones or touch their very sensitive nerves. However, we try to engage them in discussions with absolute patience, until they use up all their ammunitions and expertise of insults fully, exposing themselves. We never tell them who they are; they do it for us themselves by telling it to the readers themselves. The Sudanese say: “Ale Feqalbu Hurqus, Barahu Yerqus.”
dan October 16, 2014
The only soluti
on if we buried DIA all our problems will bury with hime
dan October 16, 2014
ሽግር ኤርትራ ክፍታሕ እንተኮይኑ ብዝኮነ መንገዲ ውልቀ መላኺ ኢሰያስ ክቕንጸል ኣለዎ ።
dan October 16, 2014
ብዙሓት ውልቀ መለኽቲ ርእየ’ሞ ከም ኢሰያስ ሕሱርን ደንቆሮን መራሒ ግን ርእየ ኣይፈልጥን።
Wedi Debas October 16, 2014
What a contrast! Eritrea became an “independent” country at the same time Ethiopia got rid of the brutal Derge regime. Today Eritreans are fleeing and starving in the same country they sacrificed so much while Ethiopians are building on what they have achieved. And here strangely enough, we have some smart/fake experts (Tenkolti) telling us about the types of hunger that is according to their expertise the nature and the man made one. What Eritreans back home really and urgently need is a practical a lasting SOLUTIONS not so called fake politicians or experts analyzing things. Period.
Wadbahar October 16, 2014
Man of practical solutions: Though you describe others as fake experts and politicians, you did not present to the readers your real expertise that could suggest practical solutions to save the country. The forum is open, just enlighten the readers. Everybody is ready to learn.
Wedi Debas October 17, 2014
Sadly, you are what you are that is part of a dysfunctional society that agreed not to agree on anything. May the Almighty let it rain for forty days and forty nights as in the time of Noah, let the evil men perish and save the humble and the innocent. If empty rhetoric, denial, boastfulness, stubbornness and arrogance were all bricks and mortar, Eritrea would have been a land of skyscrapers. You guys have it all!!!! Lastly, the solution is for you to be part of the solution. Wishful thinking and day dreaming is not going to get you anywhere big-head. Grow up.
Wadbahar October 17, 2014
We thought you have some prescriptions for the Eritrean people by way of practical solutions that you said others failed to come up with. But unfortunately, you did not succeed where others you said have failed. This way, I would say you “slaughtered a cat” (as Egyptians say) for the Eritrean people by writing hundreds of words but saying nothing. So, where are your practical solutions?
Simon G. October 18, 2014
Wadbahar/Wedi Debas,
All you have to do is add the positive items and remove the negatives from both of your comments and you will see the foundation of the practical solution. It is just the foundation but nevertheless a good starter.
I see both of you care for Eritrea but failed to agree each other. May be our problem is not what we are thing it is. I believe if we had to start listening to each other, we could find the practical solution that we all want. So far, our attempt seems about nothing.
Be Careful not to ask me where is my practical solution. So far, with my limited brain, that’s all I have.
Truly Truly i say to you October 16, 2014
Oh thanks God! I am positively surprised for seeing many guanine comments regarding the topic. Ahmed, you are right. Like you remarked the evil dictator in dead exploited world attention the 9/11 terror event to imprison the who is who opponents like those journalists and political figures. ” in my view nothing nation in world is indirectly wounded by 9/ 11 terror like We Eritreans. This darkest day it gives good opportunity the wicked evil dictator to extend his devilish work against our people and nation.
The other brilliant remark which much satisfied me was Tamrat Tamrat´s, Wadbahar´s; Dan´s, Tes´s Semere´s, Simon G´s regardless whatever in diferent nick name´s you right this time i agree with all brilliant and patriotic assertion´s.
Speciall this Tamrat tamrat´s brilliant remarks “I dont know much about Iskimo or Brundi, but the Food shortage in Eritrea is man made planed to suck the remittance eri People sending home by inflating the price of Food in Eritrea ” i do not know how much for those dummy blood sucker PFDJ supports the secret is reviled to them how Isyas is systematically exploiting and cursing their money. Yes,those few PFDJ Mafia´s at highest position they did everything the nation economy to destroy and by causing suffer to reverse the independence. All the nation wealth is at hand of few individuals. And all trade economic centre and political sector is possessed by the hand of Tigray origin Eritreans. This time all young, educated and a little economically wealthy Eritreans are systematically inforced to flee from their home country. In their place Tigrian origin sealsmen and Demhahit army is undercontroling the nation economy and security. Isyas´s long range programm after he inforced those most of Dekebats that he assums they could threaten him to flee from their homeland , by mixing marriage those left poor Eritreans with Demhit to extinct the Eritrean national and nationalism it is. This time In Eritrea those in better condition living are all Tigrai Origins, while all the nation young living in trench so that they not learn, marriage or or do business .
Truly Truly i say to you October 16, 2014
part 2
Believe me or not for instance just recently here in Europe i meat with three business men coming from Eritrea for shopping whom i very know their family background as are from Tigrai origin, after a little discussion they were tried to convince me how Eritrea is developed economically they mean thanks Isyas Afeworki´s wise leadershipment! So in my side since i knew these three as they are not from Eritrean origin, i can guess if you all count whom you know them it is possible to say those blindly supporting all are from Tigrai origin, better to say people with identity crises. So these people if you think it pains them who ever Eritrean be punished in Lampadusa, or whatever economic inflation in general, or whatever food price inflating causing like Tamrat brilliantly described above; you must be a meek or born ignorant person.
My self those when their own children systematically extincting they acting like deaf and blind as if nothing hearing and seeing, i do not think they have brain to analayse and know how Isyas is systematically cursing and exploiting their money, even they know like Tamrat said in a very rich European country for a kilo of wheat flour in some cheap supper market see sealing only on 20 cents. That means with around 20 if expensive with 30 Euro when you buy 100 kilo whit flour in Europe, to sea in Eritrea sealing with double price, it should to be investigated the motive. I know many friends in Ethiopia with in 10, dollars who built own houses with 2- 3 floors, but in Eritreafor one bed room sharing apartment they asking least 28, 000 Euro, even you paid that you wouldn´t see built. Now a day to be Eritrean is a shame! I do not know those three doctors at Assenna panel discussion planning the seminar to do in DC i think,weather deeply discussing about with my corrupt English attempt describing how our nation is dyeing? It is very disturbing and discouraging matter our people and nation for nothing power have saviour. Even the powerful nations contrarily siding against our people interest! I didn´t see a cursed forgotten nation like Eritrea in this world. What is our sin?
Truly October 16, 2014
Please read instead 10 dollar with 10 thousands dollar.
bitew yihdego October 16, 2014
truly …you said it well at the end(Even the powerful nations contrarily siding against our people interest! I didn´t see a cursed forgotten nation like Eritrea in this world. )
this is how I see it too ,it goes beyond weyane & TPDM. I agree with you ,I don’t think america or china never wanted to see us independent and ethiopia has everything to gain by using assab port.
Mulue October 16, 2014
Stubborn and idiot leader of Eritrea was/ is accountable for each and every loss happened now a days !!! Save our people from evils!!! Eritrea, the worst country in the world due to the worst governance since our independence 1991!!! We need change, but how????????