It is alarming to know that in Africa and elsewhere, children between the ages of 2-5 years die of hunger/malnutrition on a regular basis; spare a thought for the recent Famine in Somalia that claimed over 260,000 lives. The multidimensional statistical tool, The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is used to describe the state of countries’ hunger situation. The Index was adopted and further developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Countries with extremely alarming (GHI ≥ 30), or alarming (GHI between 20.0 and 29.9) hunger situation are of keen interest.

Below are Top 10 Hungriest African Countries as of 2014, according to the Global Hunger Index (GHI).

1) Burundi (GHI: 35.6)

Notorious for hunger and malnutrition issues, Burundi tops the Global Hunger Index for the third year in a row. Food security for the majority of Burundians has continually dwindled in recent years, despite a gradual return to peace. A least developed and low-income, food-deficit country; more than half of Burundi’s people suffer from mal-nourishment and live below the poverty line, mainly in rural areas. Burundi has an indicator ratio of 35.6, gifting it the distinction of being the hungriest country in Africa and the world.

via wfp.org

2) Eritrea (GHI: 33.8)

All efforts by the government of Eritrea to ameliorate the pitiable situation of hunger malady, infrastructural comatose and economic deficiency have largely been ineffective. With an indicator ratio of 33.8, Eritrea is prominent for hunger crisis and has been making global headlines in this regard. Situated between Sudan and Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa, drought, famine and malnutrition are ravaging Eritrea, as well as nearby countries.

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