Food Crisis Update

It sure is nice to wake up in the morning with a refrigerator full of food. That's a luxury not experienced by a large portion of our world. Let's not take it for granted.

This is my weekly periodic update on the current state of hunger in our world. The causes vary, but the consequences are the same. Children suffer and die from malnutrition that makes them vulnerable to disease. Here are three countries with serious issues even as we speak. (or rather, as I speak, since I occasionally talk out loud when I am writing.) The situations in these three countries were highlighted in a Minneapolis Star article this week.

North Korea: People are possibly starving to death as food rations continue to be slashed. The army of more than a million stopped military exercises in order to help raise crops. After three years of non-assistance, the U.S. is resuming food aid, which experts predict will arrive too late. An estimated 200,000-300,000 people may starve to death without aid, according to sources in Seoul.

Somalia: Because of deteriorating conditions and armed conflict, as well as rising global food and fuel prices, plus severe drought, the country is experience a serious crisis.

Ethiopia: According to the article, "Ethiopia's top disaster response official said 4.5 million Ethiopians need emergency food aid, about a million more than thought."

The irony is that much of the aid that is provided to these nations and their communities is doing more damage than good. Sometimes free food arrives and the local farmers who have worked to grow crops lose out because they cannot sell their food. In other words, the blessing is disruptive and while making food available for some it hurts the livelihood of others.

In other situations, there are U.S. mutual funds whose investors profit from the hardships caused by the food crisis. The mutual funds loan money to local people, but at exorbitant interest rates. The "free money" seems at first to be just what the poor family needed, but these people often do not understand the fine print associated with this "generous" loan. The damage is heart rending, though U.S. investors feel good because their money is being used to fund organizations purportedly helping the world's needy to get them on their feet.

Add to these challenges the problems of political corruption, deep seated hatreds, violence and despair... and you have a bad brew. The people living in the world's shadows have much to overcome. Step one is enough nourishment to survive another day. But this is only step one. The need is far more vast... and deeper.

For information on how to help make a small difference in the war against hunger, visit Farms International
"Doing Good That Is Good."