This is just the latest in a slew of articles I've seen this week about the rising cost of food and the effect it is having on developing nations.
TORONTO — World Vision, one of the world's biggest humanitarian organizations, says it can no longer provide food to 1.5 million of the 7.5 million poor it fed last year.
The organization blames the soaring cost of food and countries not living up to their donor commitments for the decision. World Vision Canada president Dave Toycen says about 572,000 of those who won't receive its aid are children "who urgently need enough food to thrive."
Toycen predicts it will likely take at least two years for "this pricing crisis" to stabilize.
He says that's "far too long" for the millions of children under the age of five who need sufficient nutrition right now to develop properly.
Toycen adds countries around the world must ensure that "preventing child hunger and malnutrition is the top priority in the search for a solution to the current food pricing crisis."
The World Bank estimates the recent rise in food prices could push another 100 million people deeper into poverty.
The announcement by World Vision comes as experts gather in England for a summit on the world food aid crisis.
From: The Canadian Press
What are you and I willing to do to alleviate the situation? Why isn't Canada (and other countries) living up to its commitment to the Millenium Development Goals?
Shaking our heads and murmuring tsk-tsk before changing the channel back to the hockey game is not acceptable. A good start is writing to the Prime Minister or your Member of Parliament. But that is only the first step. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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