Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2008/22/c8473.html
Global food price increase forces major humanitarian organization to cut 1.5 million beneficiaries from its food aid program
Preventing child hunger and malnutrition must be international
community's top priority in tackling food-pricing crisis,
says World Vision
MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 22 /CNW/ - One of the world's largest humanitarian
organizations has announced it can no longer provide food to 1.5 million of
the 7.5 million poor it fed last year.
World Vision blamed the soaring cost of food and unmet donor country aid
commitments for the 23 per cent decrease in the number of people it was able
to provide with food aid. World Vision has 31,000 staff working in around 100
countries worldwide and operates food programs in 35 countries.
"Despite our best efforts, 1.5 million of our beneficiaries are no longer
receiving food aid," said Dave Toycen, President of World Vision Canada.
"Around 572,000 of these are children who urgently need enough healthy food to
thrive.
"This pricing crisis is likely to take at least two years to stabilize.
That is far too long for the millions of children under age five who need
sufficient levels of nutrition now to develop properly. Without enough healthy
food children under age five can suffer irreversible, impaired brain
development and stunted physical development. This has tragic implications for
a child's education and future employment potential."
The World Bank estimates that the recent rise in food prices could push
another 100 million people deeper into poverty. Ten per cent of these will be
children under age 5.
Higher food prices aggravate malnutrition, stunting
The food price crisis is making a terrible situation even worse for many
children in developing countries. Malnutrition already contributes to the
deaths of more than 3.7 million children under age 5 every year. Insufficient
nutrition has also stunted the development of 147 million pre-school children
in developing countries. Wasting (low weight for height) affects more than 46
million pre-school children annually. Malnourished children are also more
likely to suffer and die from diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea, acute
respiratory illness, malaria and measles.
"Aside from the awful effects of malnutrition on children themselves,
imagine the devastating impact increased malnutrition levels will ultimately
have on nations whose struggling economies are in desperate need of a strong,
healthy and educated future workforce," said Toycen.
"The international community must ensure that preventing child hunger and
malnutrition is the top priority in the search for a solution to the current
food pricing crisis."
Call for funding the world food shortfall
Though price increases are a major reason for the fall in food aid
recipients, another is the failure by some country donors to follow through on
funding commitments made to the World Food Programme (WFP)-one of World
Vision's largest sources of food aid.
The lack of available funds, combined with the rising prices, has caused
some regular food delivery channels to dry up, and has prevented World Vision
from launching several new food aid delivery projects where they are needed.
In some countries it has even caused the organization to halt food aid
programming.
World Vision is calling on governments and other donors to fund the $500
million WFP shortfall. It is also urging all donors to meet any food aid
funding commitments it has made including those to the WFP.
"Of course, food aid by itself is not a panacea for hunger and
malnutrition," said Toycen.
"Breastfeeding children need healthy mothers, small-scale farmers need
support to grow food, communities need help to mitigate the effects of natural
disasters," Toycen said. "Therefore, the international community must also act
now to establish a fund that supports those projects that will prevent
vulnerable communities from becoming malnourished as a result of the pricing
crisis. Wait too long to act, and treating millions of malnourished men, women
and children will prove a huge undertaking. Prevention is considerably cheaper
and more effective than a cure.
"If the international community does not act swiftly, then not only will
rising food prices undermine the poverty gains of the last five to 10 years,
but they will ultimately put a brake on developing countries' chances for any
real future development through its youngest citizens."
World Vision is an international Christian relief, development and
advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and
communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Motivated by our Christian
faith, World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity
or gender.
For further information: or an interview with Dave Toycen, contact:
Karen Homer, Public Relations Director, (905) 565-6200 ext. 3898 (office),
(416) 936-4159 (cell), Karen_homer@worldvision.ca
Global food price increase forces major humanitarian organization to cut 1.5 million beneficiaries from its food aid program
Preventing child hunger and malnutrition must be international
community's top priority in tackling food-pricing crisis,
says World Vision
MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 22 /CNW/ - One of the world's largest humanitarian
organizations has announced it can no longer provide food to 1.5 million of
the 7.5 million poor it fed last year.
World Vision blamed the soaring cost of food and unmet donor country aid
commitments for the 23 per cent decrease in the number of people it was able
to provide with food aid. World Vision has 31,000 staff working in around 100
countries worldwide and operates food programs in 35 countries.
"Despite our best efforts, 1.5 million of our beneficiaries are no longer
receiving food aid," said Dave Toycen, President of World Vision Canada.
"Around 572,000 of these are children who urgently need enough healthy food to
thrive.
"This pricing crisis is likely to take at least two years to stabilize.
That is far too long for the millions of children under age five who need
sufficient levels of nutrition now to develop properly. Without enough healthy
food children under age five can suffer irreversible, impaired brain
development and stunted physical development. This has tragic implications for
a child's education and future employment potential."
The World Bank estimates that the recent rise in food prices could push
another 100 million people deeper into poverty. Ten per cent of these will be
children under age 5.
Higher food prices aggravate malnutrition, stunting
The food price crisis is making a terrible situation even worse for many
children in developing countries. Malnutrition already contributes to the
deaths of more than 3.7 million children under age 5 every year. Insufficient
nutrition has also stunted the development of 147 million pre-school children
in developing countries. Wasting (low weight for height) affects more than 46
million pre-school children annually. Malnourished children are also more
likely to suffer and die from diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea, acute
respiratory illness, malaria and measles.
"Aside from the awful effects of malnutrition on children themselves,
imagine the devastating impact increased malnutrition levels will ultimately
have on nations whose struggling economies are in desperate need of a strong,
healthy and educated future workforce," said Toycen.
"The international community must ensure that preventing child hunger and
malnutrition is the top priority in the search for a solution to the current
food pricing crisis."
Call for funding the world food shortfall
Though price increases are a major reason for the fall in food aid
recipients, another is the failure by some country donors to follow through on
funding commitments made to the World Food Programme (WFP)-one of World
Vision's largest sources of food aid.
The lack of available funds, combined with the rising prices, has caused
some regular food delivery channels to dry up, and has prevented World Vision
from launching several new food aid delivery projects where they are needed.
In some countries it has even caused the organization to halt food aid
programming.
World Vision is calling on governments and other donors to fund the $500
million WFP shortfall. It is also urging all donors to meet any food aid
funding commitments it has made including those to the WFP.
"Of course, food aid by itself is not a panacea for hunger and
malnutrition," said Toycen.
"Breastfeeding children need healthy mothers, small-scale farmers need
support to grow food, communities need help to mitigate the effects of natural
disasters," Toycen said. "Therefore, the international community must also act
now to establish a fund that supports those projects that will prevent
vulnerable communities from becoming malnourished as a result of the pricing
crisis. Wait too long to act, and treating millions of malnourished men, women
and children will prove a huge undertaking. Prevention is considerably cheaper
and more effective than a cure.
"If the international community does not act swiftly, then not only will
rising food prices undermine the poverty gains of the last five to 10 years,
but they will ultimately put a brake on developing countries' chances for any
real future development through its youngest citizens."
World Vision is an international Christian relief, development and
advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and
communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Motivated by our Christian
faith, World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity
or gender.
For further information: or an interview with Dave Toycen, contact:
Karen Homer, Public Relations Director, (905) 565-6200 ext. 3898 (office),
(416) 936-4159 (cell), Karen_homer@worldvision.ca