Global Hunger: Some progress..Serious concerns

Despite significant progress in global efforts to reduce poverty, hundreds of millions of people across the world are still going to sleep hungry at night, according to a new study by a group of international food policy think tanks.

Released today points out that more than 920 million people -- an overwhelming majority of them living in developing countries -- go hungry every day.
"Hunger is one of the most important problems the world faces, and rapid progress in overcoming it is long overdue," said the authors of the report highlighting the countries and regions facing the risk -- and now confronting the added burden of rising food prices and a global economic downturn.
The Index also notes, however that many countries in South and Southeast Asia, the Near East and North Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean have made significant headway in eliminating hunger over the past two decades.The report identifies as many as 33 countries that have levels of hunger that are "alarming or extremely alarming." Most of those countries are located in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
While South Asia has made "rapid" strides in fighting hunger, say the report's authors, there has been only "marginal" progress in sub-Saharan Africa.
"For hungry and malnourished people in these regions, rising food prices pose a serious threat," said Joachim von Braun, director general of the U.S.-based International Food Policy Research Institute, which released the study in cooperation with Dublin-based Concern Worldwide and the Bonn-based group German Agro-Action.
The Index is calculated annually for each country based on three major factors: the proportion of undernourished people, the prevalence of underweight children, and the mortality rate of children under the age of five. Each country receives an overall score, with a number below 5 indicating low levels of hunger and anything over 20 considered "alarming." Scores above 30 are considered "extremely alarming."
Peru, Syria, and Turkey are among the countries showing the most improvement over the 18 years since 1990, with scores that have decreased by over 50 percent.At the same time, the Democratic Republic of Congo's hunger score has increased nearly 70 percent, and is the only country in the world to register a tally over 40 on this year's Index. Eritrea (39), Burundi (38), Sierra Leone (32), and Ethiopia (31) also scored in the "extremely alarming" range. All five countries are in sub-Saharan Africa.
Bangladesh (25), India (24), Cambodia (23), and Pakistan (22) are among the Asian countries registering scores in the "alarming" range, though all have improved their hunger situations significantly since 1990.

Impact of Rising Food Prices

Von Braun and his colleagues say the recent surge in food prices has had "uneven" effects across countries, depending on a range of factors, including whether countries are net importers or exporters of food.
Among the countries with the highest levels of hunger, however, net cereal importers greatly outnumber exporters, implying countries fighting hunger are much more likely to suffer rather than benefit from rising food prices.
The report notes that high food prices have also caused violent and non-violent protests in dozens of countries across the world.Analysts blame the escalation of the food crisis largely on rising fuel costs, erratic weather patterns, and the widespread diversion of food crops for biofuels and animals like cows and chickens, which are killed to satisfy rising global demand for meat.Researchers say the attempts to cope with the current food crisis will not only require more aid for the poor, but also a significant increase in investment in small farming and a balancing of trade rules between developing and developed countries.

The research indicates that food prices will likely remain high in the near term and that that this might lead to further food insecurity around the globe.
"Particularly worrisome is the effect of the food price crisis on poor children," said von Braun. "Rising food prices may prevent even more households from providing pregnant mothers and infants with adequate nutrition."

Global Economic Crisis Heightens Concerns

In light of the study's findings, the researchers also raised concerns about the possibility of a decline in the level of funding committed by donor governments and charity organizations to alleviate extreme poverty.
"High prices reduce the amount of food aid that donors can supply with a given amount of funds," said von Braun, who thinks it's time for the world community, especially donor nations, to meet their promises on poverty alleviation
Currently, the United Nations is seeking increased financial help from rich nations to help poor countries meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which include a 50-percent reduction in extreme poverty and hunger worldwide by 2015.
Addressing delegates last month, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that the gloomy economy threatened the well-being of billions of people, "none more so than the poorest of the poor."

campanaro

Courtesy of:   www.oneworld.net

Photo courtesy of :   www.oneworld.net