Jessica Maw, October 15th 2008, 8:30PM
Save the Children has warned that hundreds of millions of the world’s poorest children who are already suffering from malnutrition face an even bleaker future with the world’s increase in food prices and the worsening financial situation. Save the Children has picked the release of this statement now as it is World Food Day on October 16th. The charity is urging countries not to turn their backs on the already malnourished children.
The evidence that World Bank has provided saying that high food and fuel prices are going to increase the number of malnourished children by 44 million this year. The charity is asking that the world rallies behind these vulnerable families to help them fight through this crisis.
The hardest hit continent is Africa. With figures showing that in the Horn of Africa at least 3 million children are suffering from severe malnutrition. In Ethiopia alone, 75,000 children are now in immediate need of therapeutic feeding, with this number continually increasing.
Save the children is working in these affected areas to help prevent families taking risks that could harm the children. They are working to prevent such things as early marriage, child labour, family separation, children withdrawn from school, meals reductions and children on the move.
Charities need to ensure that they are doing all they possibly can do while the world is in the situation. The vulnerable can not be forgotten in this crisis otherwise things will only get worse for everyone.
http://www.savethechildren.org/newsroom/2008/world-food-day.html
3 comments:
Things are getting pretty bad for everyone and I think we all need to come together and help these children that are suffering. I think its great that Save the children are working in these areas to help these children and their families during this difficult time.
There is no doubt that starving children should be fed. The trouble is that children are starving even in developed countries such as our own. I am in favor of helping everyone possible, but the truth of the matter is that our country is in terrible shape. I am a bit thrown off by pleads to help children I've never seen when I know of families in Greensboro that are going hungry. It is a terrible situation we are in. I suppose we must do the best we can to help as many starving people as we are able.
I think that the economic crisis is threatening a lot of similar efforts, like tackling climate change. I don't think problems such as child hunger need to be ignored during this time, rather we need to concentrate our efforts on these children to make our future brigher.
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