What is a role of 'how' in 'How so many people' : [how][so many people] or [how so many people]?

I realize how so many people don’t have those simple things that we so much take for granted.

"how so many people don’t have those simple things that we so much take for granted" is an object of ‘realize’ and a wh-clause.

Q1
What’s the role of ‘how’? When we parse this clause, what is a subject of the wh-clause?

1. [how so many people]? If this is right, ‘how’ may be a modifier of ‘many’. As a result, [how so many people] is a subject of the clause and at the same time, a conjunction of the wh-clause.
2. [so many people]? If this is right, ‘how’ does not belong to the NP, [so many people] and just takes a role of conjunction alone.

Q2
Which meaning does ‘how’ in the clause come under when referring to macmillandictionary?

1. #2 used for asking or saying what quantity, distance, age etc something is, or to what degree something is true
2. #5 used for referring to a particular fact that you want to mention
   In this meaning, ‘how’ is used like ‘that’.