Last week in Haiti, we saw violence spill over between troops and citizens as they attempted to storm the Presidential grounds. The reason? Massive food shortages around the world is leaving people in already dire situations in an even more threatening place. A saw a video recently on cnn.com about the "mud pies" that people in Haiti are making, selling and eating on the street -- due to the food scarcity.
More than 100 million people are being driven into deeper poverty. ONE HUNDRED MILLION. Can you even imagine? The world press corps has labeled this troubling emergence the "silent tsunami". UN feeding programs that feed 20 Million children are being threatened.
Josette Sheeran is the executive director of the World Food Program, she said, "This is the new face of hunger -- the millions of people who were not in the urgent hunger category six months ago NOW ARE. The world's misery index is rising." Sheeran also said that food prices are at their highest levels since 1945.
25,000 people a day are dying of hunger conditions. One child dies every five, (5, FIVE) seconds from hunger related causes.
Sheeran told reporters that the price of a ton of rice has risen from $460 to $1000 in less than two months. In two months, the price of rice has more than doubled. For people living on less than a dollar a day, in places where a cup of rice consists of the majority of their meals....this is catastrophic.
The reason??
- Rising fuel prices, droughts throughout the world, demand in huge countries (China, India, etc) and the diversion of crops for biofuel production.
How can you/I/we help? In the short term -- donations to emergency aid relief organizations such as the World Food Program, OXFAM, and others. Because of the gas prices and the droughts (which limit both the production and the supply ends) there is no foreseeable end to the price rise.
Long term -- invest in organizations that center around development and self-sustainability. Organizations that work towards fresh water resources through drilling and farming techniques (such as Staff of Hope, Life Water and Living Water) offer the best opportunity for long term security. If folks can control their own resources and build towards the future, they are less susceptible to be at the hands of relief workers.
We need to act. We need to pray. In the time it has taken you to read this short post -- a couple of minutes maybe -- more than a dozen children have died from hunger and hunger related issues. At least I'm enjoying my cup of coffee.
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