On Wednesday, the United Nations released a new report on global food security highlighting the correlation between the global economic crisis and the severe increase in the number of people worldwide who are starving to death. For the first time, the numbers of human beings suffering from lack of food and nutrition reached a staggering 1 billion. Over 1 BILLION people are undernourished.........
According to the report, "The largest population of the under-nourished is in the Asia-Pacific region, with 642 million, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa (265 million), Latin America (53 million) and the Middle East and North Africa (42 million). Some 15 million people suffer from hunger in the developed world.
In the Global Hunger Index report released Wednesday by the International Food Policy Research Institute, the Democratic Republic of Congo scored the worst, followed by Burundi, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, Chad and Ethiopia."
Every six seconds, a child dies of hunger.
six seconds.........another little one perishes.
no tears...... they've dried up.
Give us this day our daily bread......... Today is World Food Day. Go to your cupboards, or go to the local supermarket and fill a bag with groceries. Take it directly to your local food bank or soup kitchen. Drop it off at the church down the road. Find the Sally Anne and give it to them. Now. It's the least we can do.
Then, if you aren't doing this already, consider sponsoring a child in need.
8 comments:
I knew a couple here in the states that received food stamps and the total was staggering. They bought prepared meals till the stamps ran out which usually was the middle of the month. Then they visited the food supply places in the church basements. I watched as a group of them (these families) learned how to live off the griff...the soup kitchens, the church basements......and to this day when I see these places handing out food, I can't help but think of this group of people that knew how to get something for nothing and even moving to states that gave "more" in assistance!
Sad but true
Sad is right. Thank God they are the exception to the rule.
It's also the world day of bread. Bake a couple of loaves, and share one locally with someone who needs or would truly appreciate it.
N.
Those statistics are truly staggering but what's more heartbreaking is that those statistics represent human beings and that is the biggest tragedy of all.
Great post and very good things to do!!! Unfortunately the hunger is only going to get worse with climate change (less rain, in higher latitudes more rain, more draughts in africa and flooding in other countires. We are a little too late and the industries trying to boycot and ignore the problems to protect themselves but we can also stil help the third world with providing technologies to help people adapt e.o. How wonderful would it be if we all put our hands together and do the right things
It's an awful situation. I have just finished reading Waste by Stuart Tristram which basically highlights how the developed nations waste ie. throw out, 50% of their food. I cried when I read it. The world is so messed up right now. God help us all.
Breadbox N..... A good thing to do often and not just once a year.
Gypsy.... this is what we must remember. Human beings one and all. Statistics always feel so cold. It's hearing the stories and seeing the faces which bring the tragedy to the forefront in our hearts.
Marja.... some of it has been caused by climate change, but it has been an ongoing tragedy for so many years before we began to recognize our changing planet. Droughts and WARS, corrupt businesses and governments, global economics and lack of compassion and recognition of human rights all play a role.
Selma.... big promises, big promises and yet we continue to slide backwards on making sure everyone is cared for. Extreme poverty is growing, and more people are dying of starvation. Instead of asking God to help us, maybe we need to ask God how we can help Him? If anything is to change, we must step up to the plate ourselves and make the change. The problem is that it is so damn daunting, where do you start?
Perhaps by baking an extra loaf of bread and giving it to someone in need. We have to start somewhere.
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