Famine threatening 4 nations casts shadow

The number of hungry people around the world has fallen more than a quarter since 2000, but famine has cast a dark shadow over four countries in the past year where conflict and climate shocks are threatening to reverse this progress, according to results from an annual global hunger index.

The overall score of the 2017 Global Hunger Index released Thursday is 27 percent lower than the score 17 years ago, which indicates the world has made strides in reducing hunger and increasing food security.

But this progress has been uneven with levels of hunger still considered "serious" or "alarming" in 51 nations and "extremely alarming" in one country out of 119 countries for which data could be collected. Moreover, inequalities within countries are masked by national averages, while the nations with missing data may be the ones suffering most, the report warned.

“The results of this year’s Global Hunger Index show that we cannot waver in our resolve to reach the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger by 2030,” said Shenggen Fan, director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute, which calculates the Global Hunger Index scores each year.

“We have made great progress toward that goal but indications that this progress is threatened emphasizes the need to establish resilience in food systems. We must provide immediate aid to those areas facing the most severe crises, such as famines, and construct policies at the international and national levels to address the structural issues that create persistent food insecurity," Fan added.

Read more at ABC News