Hungr In The News

Food Insecurity In Pakistan Rises To 58%, National Nutritional Survey —News Pakistan

According to a survey conducted by National Nutritional Survey in 2011, almost 58% of Pakistanis are food insecure. A WFP representative said, “The situation has gone from bad to worse especially in Sindh where malnutrition and food insecurity among women and children has increased.”

Syria Battles Food Security Issues —The Wall Street Journal 

Syria is struggling to afford and secure ample food supplies for its domestic population as the European Union’s ban on oil imports puts severe strain on the country’s finances. “The prolonged unrest is often causing disruptions in food distribution channels, leading to localized shortages in several markets,” according to FAO. 

10 Easy Ways to Give Back in the New Year —Shine From Yahoo

Don’t have the extra cash or time to max out your karmic potential? Read our charity cheat sheet - a roundup of 10 easy ways to pay it forward. Give back and goof off with a Web game instead. Free Rice donates rice to WFP for right answers

Malnutrition Widespread In Indian Children, Report Finds –-The New York Times

Roughly 42% of all Indian children under age 5 suffer from malnutrition, a sobering reminder of the persistence of poverty and hunger in the world’s largest democracy, according to a major report released on Tuesday. The extensive food subsidy program that India already operates allocates grain and kerosene to the poor. 

To Create Food Security In Africa, Focus On The Value Chain –-Newstime Africa

The tragic famine in Somalia has once again focused concern on food security in Africa. There are many facets to this issue, and many solutions. While there is a role for relief in addressing food insecurity, the only real solutions center on development. 

Hungr in the News

Global Leaders Gather in S. Korea Amid Financial Jitters for World’s Premier Aid Forum —The Washington Post/ AP

The rich countries that traditionally give aid question how much they should spend amid tough domestic budget fights and fears that a European financial crisis could spread. Aid groups, meanwhile, worry that donors will retreat from crucial programs for those living in crushing poverty. Global heavyweights, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, will try to use the three-day Busan forum to argue that, despite mounting economic uncertainties, the world needs stronger aid programs with better coordination and transparency.

Concern Climate Change Threatens Global Security —AFP

Droughts and floods which devastate crops and rising seas which imperil coastal cities will become potent triggers for famine, disease and homelessness, in turn inflaming tensions and leading to unrest, say experts. Wheat, corn, and sorghum have all seen global spikes in the past 18 months, but in the drought-hit Horn of Africa their prices have at times doubled or tripled compared to a five-year average. 

Bangladesh: Climate Change to Increase Hunger and Malnutrition —Global Voices

As governments prepare for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP17) in South Africa, experts warn that among climate change’s greatest consequences in developing countries such as Bangladesh are risks to the agriculture sector, including an increased risk of hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity. WFP reports that by 2050, climate change is expected to increase the number of hungry people by 10 to 20%, and the number of malnourished children is expected to increase by 24 million.