Nearly 35 million people, representing 21 percent of the total population of Bangladesh, are deprived of adequate food in the last four months, according to reports prepared by several international organizations.
Moreover, 68 percent of the total population in the country is struggling to buy food while some of them are even selling their family belongings to buy food and some of them are even having to borrow money.
According to a recent survey report of the World Food Programme (WFP), this situation occurred due to the setback in Aman paddy cultivation.
A recent report of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) stated that nearly 35 million people in the country lack adequate food and are not taking proper meals at least once a day.
IPC conducted the 10-year survey from 2009-19 before the outbreak.
According to the survey, over 58.5 million people, representing 36 percent of the total population are facing Mild Chronic Food Insecurity (IPC Level 2), and almost 70 million people, representing 43 percent of the total population, are classified in IPC Level 1 (No Chronic Food Insecurity).
Nearly 35 million people, representing 21 percent of the total population of Bangladesh, face Moderate and Severe Chronic Food Insecurity (IPC Levels 3 and 4), of which 11.7 million people, or 7 percent of the total population face Severe Chronic Food Insecurity (IPC Level 4) and 23.2 million people, or 14 percent of the total population, face Moderate Chronic Food Insecurity (IPC Level 3), it added.
Food insecurity
Recently United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) placed Bangladesh on a list of countries that require external assistance for food to brave "severe localised food insecurity". The list includes 45 countries, including nine Asian countries.
Economic constraints due to the effects of Covid-19, monsoon floods and high prices of staple foods have worsened food security and resulted in an increased need for import or humanitarian aid, FAO says.
Besides, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently said South Asian countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan are facing severe localised food insecurity as the world is witnessing the worst threats to global food security in decades.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also asked all concerned to keep up the growth, achieved in agriculture amid the coronavirus pandemic, to ensure food security alongside making efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
"Though the coronavirus outbreak set us back to some extent, we have to maintain the growth that has been achieved in agriculture amid the pandemic to ensure that our people don't suffer from the food crisis," she said.
She asked all to get ready so that we do not face any adverse situations.
While addressing the inaugural session of the meeting of ministers in the 36th Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently, she placed a three-point proposal for ensuring food security in the Asian and Pacific region.
Wheat Import
Bangladesh's wheat import fell to its lowest in six years as many consumers switched to rice irked by surging prices of the grain. In such a situation, experts fear of severe food crisis in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh's annual consumption of wheat stood at over 75 lakh tonnes a couple of years ago and most of the demand for the grain was met through import as local harvests provide roughly 10 lakh tonnes annually.
Of the import in the fiscal year 2021-22, the amount of wheat bought in by the government from abroad through tenders increased 19 percent year-on-year to 5.46 lakh tonnes. Private imports dipped 29 percent to 34.6 lakh tonnes in the fiscal year 2020-21.
Balai Krishna Hazra, additional secretary (fertiliser management and monitoring) of the agriculture ministry, said: "If we fail to import some 50 to 55 lakh tonnes of wheat every year, the situation will turn worse as it will create pressure on rice."
In the meantime, though a bumper Boro production ensures food security for several months, things could be different this year due low production of rice.
Moreover, Bangladesh may bag lower rice output this season, which begins with Boro paddy in winter, as heavy rainfall and flash floods in June have damaged the Aush crops.
the floods in June in the northern and north-eastern regions of the country will offset the gains in overall Boro rice cultivation, which provides more than half of the annual rice output.
In mid-June, heavy rainfall in the northern and north-eastern regions and their adjacent Indian states of Assam and Meghalaya caused severe flooding in the Sylhet and Sunamganj districts
The inundation damaged more than 56,000 hectares of Aush plantations.
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