By Choi Sung-jin
North Korea's hunger index has steadily improved over the past decade as the country's food situation became better but its hunger level remains "very serious."
EurActiv, a European Union-specialized media outlet, made these and other points in a report based on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2016, released by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on World Food Day on Oct. 16.
IFPRI calculated the hunger indexes of 118 countries by comparing the proportion of people undernourished, the proportion of children under age five who suffer from wasting (low weight for height), same-aged children who suffer stunting (low height for age) and their mortality rate.
According to the report, North Korea's hunger index this year is 28.6, the 21st worst among the 118 countries.
Nearly half, or 41.6 percent, of the population was undernourished and the occurrence of wasting diseases such as tuberculosis and cancer was 4 percent, reflecting acute under-nutrition. Moreover, 27.9 percent of children under five suffered stunting, resulting from chronic under-nutrition, and the under-five mortality rate was 2.5 percent.
Overall, these figures marked an improvement of about 30 percent from 2000, reflecting the better food situation. The North's hunger index peaked at 40.4 in 2000 when its "march of hardship" came to an end, and fell to 30.1 in 2008 and 28.6 this year.
In 2000, the portion of the undernourished population was lower at 37.9 percent but the share of under-five children suffering wasting and stunting and the mortality rate were worse at 12.2 percent, 51 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
The annual report said about 5 million children under five die of malnutrition a year across the world. The South African Republic has the highest hunger index of 46.1, followed by Chad (44.3), Zambia (39) and Haiti (36.9).
Compared with 2009, the hunger indexes of 22 countries have improved more than 50 percent, and those of 70 countries have become better by 25-50 percent. But the indexes of 50 countries, including North Korea, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mozambique and Angola, still are at serious or alarming levels, the report said.
North Korea's hunger index has steadily improved over the past decade as the country's food situation became better but its hunger level remains "very serious."
EurActiv, a European Union-specialized media outlet, made these and other points in a report based on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2016, released by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on World Food Day on Oct. 16.
IFPRI calculated the hunger indexes of 118 countries by comparing the proportion of people undernourished, the proportion of children under age five who suffer from wasting (low weight for height), same-aged children who suffer stunting (low height for age) and their mortality rate.
According to the report, North Korea's hunger index this year is 28.6, the 21st worst among the 118 countries.
Nearly half, or 41.6 percent, of the population was undernourished and the occurrence of wasting diseases such as tuberculosis and cancer was 4 percent, reflecting acute under-nutrition. Moreover, 27.9 percent of children under five suffered stunting, resulting from chronic under-nutrition, and the under-five mortality rate was 2.5 percent.
Overall, these figures marked an improvement of about 30 percent from 2000, reflecting the better food situation. The North's hunger index peaked at 40.4 in 2000 when its "march of hardship" came to an end, and fell to 30.1 in 2008 and 28.6 this year.
In 2000, the portion of the undernourished population was lower at 37.9 percent but the share of under-five children suffering wasting and stunting and the mortality rate were worse at 12.2 percent, 51 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
The annual report said about 5 million children under five die of malnutrition a year across the world. The South African Republic has the highest hunger index of 46.1, followed by Chad (44.3), Zambia (39) and Haiti (36.9).
Compared with 2009, the hunger indexes of 22 countries have improved more than 50 percent, and those of 70 countries have become better by 25-50 percent. But the indexes of 50 countries, including North Korea, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mozambique and Angola, still are at serious or alarming levels, the report said.
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