100 Million People Face Food Crisis

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While the American political process is enthralled by increasingly petty issues, almost 100 million people could be forced back into abject poverty by the rising cost of food around the world. Even in the United States, many who are struggling economically can no longer afford basic food essentials such as rice. As prices skyrocket, instances of hoarding have been reported. Indeed, American stores in some areas are actually rationing the amount you can purchase.

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When is the last time you can remember Americans hoarding food or even see it rationed at the local super market?

Around the world, there have been food riots from Haiti to the Ivory Coast. In Egypt, the government called out troops to make bread. This year alone, rice prices have risen 141% - capping the sharpest rise of food prices in history. Paying such exorbitant prices for life's basic essentials dramatically cuts funds available to families for urgent needs like health care, education and transportation.

Each day thousands of families are falling back into poverty, unable to keep up with the dramatic and unconscionable increases. Hunger is becoming commonplace again in countries that have historically not experienced it on such a scale in decades.

The World Food Program (WFP) estimates that over 100 million people could be seriously impacted by this latest crisis. This dilemma cries out for American leadership and funds before the situation reaches such a level that it leads to international instability and chaos in critical nations.

The Economist suggests that infusing the WFP with an additional $700 million would go a long way to easing the crisis. We should immediately support that proposal and allocate funds.

After all, that is only about three days of the cost of the war in Iraq...

Originally published on DavidMixner.com [1]

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Hunger is becoming commonplace again in countries that have historically not experienced it on such a scale in decades.

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