DHAKA, Sep 22, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX News Network) -- Bangladesh's undernourished population has increased by 7.3 million, largely because of the impact of higher food prices and the damage of paddy by disasters last year, The Daily Star reported Monday.
A report of FAO and WFP was quoted by the leading English newspaper as saying that the number of the country's undernourished population has increased from 39.6 million to 46.9 million.
The report said, as a result of rising food prices and general inflation, more than half of the country's 145 million population is now food insecure and nearly one-third is understood as severely food insecure.
The special report was prepared by FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission to Bangladesh.
Bangladesh was severely affected by two floods and a devastating cyclone in the second half of 2007, causing a rice production shortfall of 1.2 million tons.