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Hunger: An international disgrace
UN’s annual hunger report shows that 815 million people are starving and are undernourished.
“It is a disgrace and a scar on world's conscience”, states General Secretary of DanChurchAid Henrik Stubkjær.
“There is no reasonable explanation whatsoever of why we allow hunger and malnourishment drain energy and development possibilities in the world’s poorest countries, and especially in the African countries.
“We know that it is possible to end hunger. We know that it does not include vast investments compared to how we spend our money elsewhere. We can afford it, and we know how to do it. Now it is time for the rich countries to show once and for all that we are prepared to keep our promises.”
Southern Africa food crisis
Henrik Stubkjær points out the hunger crisis in Southern Africa:
“It cannot be true that we are witnessing daily hunger turning into a catastrophe again – and we are just accepting the fact that people die of hunger in a world of plenty”.
Especially in Africa, south of Sahara, and in Southern Asia, the progress is slow, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) annual hunger “Food Insecurity in the World 2005”.
Starvvation deaths
The majority of the almost 11 million children, who die every year before the age of five, die of hunger related causes.
Furthermore, hunger is one of the reasons why HIV/AIDS has spread rapidly and has had such enormous consequences in Africa.
When 121 million children do not attend school, it is because of hunger and poverty. And when the children have learning difficulties, it is often because they were born and raised and subjected to malnourishment every day.
Far away from the Millennium Development Goals
FAO’s hunger report certainly makes depressing reading. Especially for those hoping to see Goal 1 come true – eradicating hunger and extreme poverty by the year 2015.
It seems that it is only in South America and the Caribbean that the goal of eradicating the number of starving people is actually within reach. No countries can reach the ambitious goal set forth at 1996 World Food Security Summit that is: to reduce by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day, and to reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.
Africa is on the wrong track. No improvements in Southern Asia either. Although the Middle East and Northern Africa do not have a high percentage of starving people, the report shows however that the proportion of people starving is on its way up here as well.
Based on an article by information officer Stine Leth-Nissen ( stine@dca.dk ), published on www.noedhjaelp.dk , 22 November 2005. Translated and edited by Marianne Lemvig.
