Hunger Crisis

Each day fifty thousand babies are born into poverty and 25,000 children die from poverty. The costs of ending hunger are large and not completely dependent upon economics, but rather peace. The United Nations Development Programme estimates that the health and nutrition needs of the world’s poorest people could be met for an additional 13 billion dollars a year, which is what pet owners spend on food for their pets. With 80 percent of the world’s population or nearly 5 billion people living in a developing country a lot of people are affected by these wars and conflicts. A lot of hunger in developing countries is caused by war. Ending or reducing the conflicts would have a dramatic impact on ending hunger in these impoverished countries.

Many developing countries have natural resources, crops and other agricultural products. Unfortunately soldiers on both sides often destroy these resources. Sometimes the opposing side will destroy the crops or take them so their own country or soldiers can have more food. Soldiers that are defending their own homeland will abuse their power and sometimes take the food for themselves because they are experiencing tough times and it is hard to pass up the opportunity for extra food, even if it is stolen or violence is used. (Hammock)

When third world countries go to war many people are forced to flee their homes. When these people flee their homes they often have no place to go and no money to settle somewhere even if they find a place to live. They also leave everything, including their crops, unprotected for the armies to destroy. When they return to their homes everything is usually ruined so they have to spend a majority of their already dwindling money on restoring their homes and their crops. (Labouisse) Before the war in Bosnia the village of Sevarlije had nearly 500 families living in a well developed community. Everyone in the village was forced to leave as their homes were destroyed. So far almost 300 families have returned to rebuild their homes and plant crops for survival. It will take time as the people do not have sufficient money to buy seeds and tools to work the land. They’re receiving support from Food Resource Bank. (Pike)

(Below is a picture of a first cabbage crop in one of the village’s fields.)

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When third world countries (Bosnia, Iraq, Ethiopia, and Sudan are a few examples.) go to war they put most of their resources toward supporting the war. This could be a major problem because countries normally can’t even support their occupants full needs when they are not at war. It becomes very hard for families to get by and hunger is a real concern. (Messer) The photo below is a good example of children who have been affected by hunger in their country of Afghanistan. This is a country at war where the leadership under Saddam Hussein took funds and supplies from their