Hunger Strikes One in Six |
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Estimates of world hunger by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) indicate over one million people go hungry each day.
A surge in global hunger comes on the heels of the economic recession. Less income and greater unemployment have made food less accessible and attainable, particularly in developing nations. Estimates project world hunger to rise by 11 percent in 2009.
"A dangerous mix of the global economic slowdown combined with stubbornly high food prices in many countries has pushed some 100 million more people than last year into chronic hunger and poverty," said Jacques Diouf, FAO Director-General.
"The silent hunger crisis - affecting one-sixth of all of humanity - poses a serious risk for world peace and security. We urgently need to forge a broad consensus on the total and rapid eradication of hunger in the world and to take the necessary actions. The present situation of world food insecurity cannot leave us indifferent."
Diouf believes more international aid and investment must go towards building agriculture in developing nations. Without a self-sustaining agricultural system, developing nations will continue to struggle with poverty and a stunted economy.
Poorer consumers are spending up to 60 percent of their income on food, which leaves them little for other necessities such as health care, housing and clothing. Though food prices have tapered from the record highs during the middle of 2008, they are still 24 percent and 33 percent higher than prices in 2006 and 2005, respectively.
FAO reports identifies the number of malnourished people in developing regions:
1. Asia and the Pacific: 642 million;
2. Sub-Sahara Africa: 255 million;
3. Latin America and the Caribbean: 53 million;
4. Near East and North Africa: 42 million; and
5. Developed Nations: 15 million.
Hunger can lead to political instability because opportunists can exploit a nation's plight and desperation to justify extremist acts of violence and terrorism. Likely targets of these "have-not" nations would be those seen as living in the lap of luxury such as traditional Western powers.
Unstable regions in Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Near East and Africa would be a perfect target for totalitarian or fundamentalist groups that pounce on weakened people.
Without establishing basic systems like agriculture to become economically self-sufficient, developing nations will have great difficulty carving a national identity or building social infrastructure that can keep order.
Hunger is not just a humanitarian issue in unseen areas of the world. It is an issue of the utmost importance to the global health, economy and security.
A surge in global hunger comes on the heels of the economic recession. Less income and greater unemployment have made food less accessible and attainable, particularly in developing nations. Estimates project world hunger to rise by 11 percent in 2009.
"A dangerous mix of the global economic slowdown combined with stubbornly high food prices in many countries has pushed some 100 million more people than last year into chronic hunger and poverty," said Jacques Diouf, FAO Director-General.
"The silent hunger crisis - affecting one-sixth of all of humanity - poses a serious risk for world peace and security. We urgently need to forge a broad consensus on the total and rapid eradication of hunger in the world and to take the necessary actions. The present situation of world food insecurity cannot leave us indifferent."
Diouf believes more international aid and investment must go towards building agriculture in developing nations. Without a self-sustaining agricultural system, developing nations will continue to struggle with poverty and a stunted economy.
Poorer consumers are spending up to 60 percent of their income on food, which leaves them little for other necessities such as health care, housing and clothing. Though food prices have tapered from the record highs during the middle of 2008, they are still 24 percent and 33 percent higher than prices in 2006 and 2005, respectively.
FAO reports identifies the number of malnourished people in developing regions:
1. Asia and the Pacific: 642 million;
2. Sub-Sahara Africa: 255 million;
3. Latin America and the Caribbean: 53 million;
4. Near East and North Africa: 42 million; and
5. Developed Nations: 15 million.
Hunger can lead to political instability because opportunists can exploit a nation's plight and desperation to justify extremist acts of violence and terrorism. Likely targets of these "have-not" nations would be those seen as living in the lap of luxury such as traditional Western powers.
Unstable regions in Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Near East and Africa would be a perfect target for totalitarian or fundamentalist groups that pounce on weakened people.
Without establishing basic systems like agriculture to become economically self-sufficient, developing nations will have great difficulty carving a national identity or building social infrastructure that can keep order.
Hunger is not just a humanitarian issue in unseen areas of the world. It is an issue of the utmost importance to the global health, economy and security.
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