INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, JUNE 19Food insecurity and undernourishment are deepening in South Asia, including Nepal, according to the
Global Food Policy Report-2023 prepared by the International Food Policy Research Institute.
rainfall predicted over most parts of South Asia this monsoon
Djokovic demand attention at French Open; Ruud and Zverev are in the semis, too
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Nepal Narayan Kaji Shrestha unveiled the report amid a function
According to the report, in Afghanistan,30 per cent people suffered from undernourishment between 2019 and 2021 followed by 17 per cent in
Pakistan, 16 per cent in India, 12 per cent in Bangladesh, six per cent in Nepal, and four per cent in Sri Lanka
Likewis,e during the same period, Afghanistan recorded 23 per cent severe food insecurity, Nepal around 13 per cent, Bangladesh
approximately 11 per cent, Pakistan around eight per cent and Sri Lanka nearly two per cent.During 2017-2019, Nepal witnessed slightly over
10 per cent severe food insecurity.
Similarly, deterioration in economic conditions during the COVID pandemic led to
substantial increase in poverty, with 48-59 million people estimated to have become the new poor in 2021, particularly in Afghanistan,
Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.COVID-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine War, various natural disasters, energy crisis, global rise in prices of food,
petroleum products and fertiliser, and political instability were mentioned as contributors to increasing food insecurity in the entire
South Asia."Recovery and development of food systems in South Asia face multiple challenges
Although spillover effects from the Russia-Ukraine war have not been large, South Asia has been affected by the global rise in food, fuel,
Food prices have risen sharply, contributing to food insecurity
In September 2022, the year-on-year consumer inflation rate of food was 66 per cent in Sri Lanka, 36 per cent in Pakistan, and about 8 per
cent in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal," the report states.In 2022, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan had banned the export of
foodstuffs, mainly rice, wheat and sugar due to high inflation and food shortage
As per the report, inflation in Pakistan and Sri Lanka is attributed mainly to macroeconomic instability and mismanagement, especially the
sharp devaluation of their currencies, and the fertiliser ban in Sri Lanka.The report identifies climate change as one of the reasons behind
falling agricultural production in many countries."Threats from climate change loom especially large for many countries, especially those in
Climate change is rapidly intensifying, increasing pressure on food systems, rural livelihoods, and ecosystems
While some places may benefit from a longer growing season amid rising temperatures, changing weather patterns and advancing desertification
have reduced average growth in agricultural productivity by as much as 21 per cent since 1961."A version of this article appears in the
print on June 20, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com
