World Food Programme Issues Food Alert
On May 4, 2005, the United Nations World Food Programme issued an alert regarding the rapidly declining numbers for global food aid. (WFP Sounds Alert as World Food Aid Plummets by 30 Percent in 2004, www.wfp.org, 5/4/05). The amount of food donated has been in decline since 1999, when 15 million tons of food aid were delivered. In 2003, according to the WFP, this number was down to 10.3 million tons from all sources and dipped to 7.5 million in 2004. Overall, this was a decline of 30 percent, while WFP’s aid itself did slightly better, dipping only 25 percent. As a result of the decline in food aid since 1999, the number of hungry people in the world, estimates WFP, has increased from 790 million to 852 million. However, there is only half as much food available in 2005 to meet the needs of these 852 million people.
There are several primary reasons for this sharp decline. Higher prices for cereals are a large factor. Total cereals provided by WFP went from 8.9 million metric tons to 6.4 million metric tons, while non-cereals dipped from only 1.3 million metric tons to 1.0 million metric tons. In addition, transport costs are at record levels. Another reason for the trend is that major donors are putting more money into development assistance than food assistance. Development assistance is at a record level of $80 billion. Therefore, the money is available and there is no excuse for the decline in food aid.
WFP Executive Director James Morris calls this situation "shameful and unacceptable." "It is time for a Food First policy," he said. "Hungry children don’t get any sustenance from the roads, ports and factories we build with the increases in development aid. But just who are we building this infrastructure for? We have to put ending hunger and malnutrition at the top of our priority list. The cost in human suffering is just too high and it’s going up."
This makes a lot of sense. You have to wonder who is going to maintain the roads and ports, benefit from them economically, and work in the factories if people are too starved and malnourished to be healthy enough to do so!
There are several primary reasons for this sharp decline. Higher prices for cereals are a large factor. Total cereals provided by WFP went from 8.9 million metric tons to 6.4 million metric tons, while non-cereals dipped from only 1.3 million metric tons to 1.0 million metric tons. In addition, transport costs are at record levels. Another reason for the trend is that major donors are putting more money into development assistance than food assistance. Development assistance is at a record level of $80 billion. Therefore, the money is available and there is no excuse for the decline in food aid.
WFP Executive Director James Morris calls this situation "shameful and unacceptable." "It is time for a Food First policy," he said. "Hungry children don’t get any sustenance from the roads, ports and factories we build with the increases in development aid. But just who are we building this infrastructure for? We have to put ending hunger and malnutrition at the top of our priority list. The cost in human suffering is just too high and it’s going up."
This makes a lot of sense. You have to wonder who is going to maintain the roads and ports, benefit from them economically, and work in the factories if people are too starved and malnourished to be healthy enough to do so!
posted by Theodosia @ 6:54 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home