U.N.: Hunger kills 18,000 kids each day

[mcpeepants]

U.N.: Hunger kills 18,000 kids each day

By EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press Writer Sat Feb 17, 7:43 AM ET

UNITED NATIONS - Some 18,000 children die every day because of hunger and malnutrition and 850 million people go to bed every night with empty stomachs, a "terrible indictment of the world in 2007," the head of the U.N. food agency said.
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James Morris called for students and young people, faith-based groups, the business community and governments to join forces in a global movement to alleviate and eliminate hunger — especially among children.

"The little girl in Malawi who's fed, and goes to school: 50 percent less likely to be
HIV-positive, 50 percent less likely to give birth to a low birth weight baby," he said in an interview Friday. "Everything about her life changes for the better and it's the most important, significant, humanitarian, political, or economic investment the world can make in its future."

Morris, an American businessman and former president the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment, one of the largest charitable organizations in the U.S., is stepping down as executive director of the Rome-based World Food Program in April after five years of leading the world's largest humanitarian organization.

He said that while the percentage of people who are hungry and malnourished has decreased from a fifth of the world's population to a sixth of the population, the actual number of hungry people is growing by about 5 million people a year because of the rising population.

"Today 850 million people are hungry and malnourished. Over half of them are children. 18,000 children die every single day because of hunger and malnutrition," Morris said. "This is a shameful fact — a terrible indictment of the world in 2007, and it's an issue that needs to be solved."

Morris said the largest number of malnourished children are in India — more than 100 million — followed by nearly 40 million in China.

"I'm very optimistic that India and China are very focused on this issue," he said. "They're making great progress — (but) need to do more. (It) needs to be a top priority."

Elsewhere, there are probably 100 million hungry children in the rest of Asia, another 100 million in Africa where countries have fewer resources to help, and 30 million in Latin America, he said.

As Morris prepares to leave his post, he said the two issues of greatest concern are the increasing number of impoverished people and the "very significant, growing number of natural disasters around the world."

According to the
World Bank, natural disasters have increased fourfold over the last 30 years, he said. That means several billion people need instant help over the course of a decade because of disasters such as the tsunami, the Pakistan earthquake, or drought in southern Africa.

The response to these disasters and conflicts such as in Sudan's Darfur region and Lebanon has meant that most development aid has been used to save lives — not to help communities prevent disasters and promote development through agricultural programs, education for children and water conservation, Morris said.

The agency's biggest operation today is in Darfur, where violence and security are major problems and 2.5 million people have fled their homes and now live in camps.

"Our convoys are attacked almost daily. We had a truck driver killed there at the end of last year. Our convoys coming through Chad from Libya are always at risk. When the African Union troops were there, that was very helpful. The U.N. troops will be even more helpful," Morris said.

He was referring to a plan for an AU-U.N. force to be deployed in Darfur, which is awaiting approval from Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

American diplomat Josette Sheeran will replace Morris, who plans to head home to Indianapolis.

"I will work as hard as I can every day of the rest of my life to see that more resources are available to feed hungry children," Morris said.

[Forza Mentale]

I wish that the UN would do more than just do studies and write reports on issues like this. Very troubling indeed, but it is not a new problem.

[Kärnfysikern]

The UN does a whole lot more than write reports. I wish they would get alot more funding than they do. The current funding is a disgrace.

[spywizard]

well that food for oil thing really worked out for them...

food does not grow in the desert, never has.. never will...

[DTBusta]

Hey the necons probably like that number. Some of them talk about the population now in the world being at a breaking point. Could this be why people like Bush allows disgusting acts of violence to go on and kill thousands. (Darfur) before saddam. 600,000 Iraqis, how many dead in Darfur? And now we know for a fact the pentagon bent the pre war intelligence on purpose. So one could only guess these leaders don't mind a little less people to eat up all the worlds natural resources...

[Logan13]

Hey the necons probably like that number. Some of them talk about the population now in the world being at a breaking point. Could this be why people like Bush allows disgusting acts of violence to go on and kill thousands. (Darfur) before saddam. 600,000 Iraqis, how many dead in Darfur? And now we know for a fact the pentagon bent the pre war intelligence on purpose. So one could only guess these leaders don't mind a little less people to eat up all the worlds natural resources...

survival of the fittest?

[Tock]

UNITED NATIONS - Some 18,000 children die every day because of hunger and malnutrition and 850 million people go to bed every night with empty stomachs, a "terrible indictment of the world in 2007," the head of the U.N. food agency said.

18,000 a day, times 365 days a year = 6,570,000 people. Additional people, all hungry for food, living in poverty, needing constant donations for food. Over 18 years, that's 118,260,000 hungry people, and after that, those hungry people start reproducing, bringing even more hungry people into the world.

Seems to me the best way to fix this problem is to "fix" those people who can't take care of their children, "fix" those people who are most likely to bring additional hungry mouths into a world to spare those hundreds of millions of starving babies that sort of neglect and abuse.

Ya, family planning and forced sterilization is the way to go -- prevent the hungry kids from being born, instead of letting them be born into deprivation and poverty. But the US foreign policy is dead set against that sort of thing, thanks to the Bush Administration.

Oh well . . . only two more years of those idiots . . .

[Logan13]

18,000 a day, times 365 days a year = 6,570,000 people. Additional people, all hungry for food, living in poverty, needing constant donations for food. Over 18 years, that's 118,260,000 hungry people, and after that, those hungry people start reproducing, bringing even more hungry people into the world.

Seems to me the best way to fix this problem is to "fix" those people who can't take care of their children, "fix" those people who are most likely to bring additional hungry mouths into a world to spare those hundreds of millions of starving babies that sort of neglect and abuse.

Ya, family planning and forced sterilization is the way to go -- prevent the hungry kids from being born, instead of letting them be born into deprivation and poverty. But the US foreign policy is dead set against that sort of thing, thanks to the Bush Administration.

Oh well . . . only two more years of those idiots . . .

So you are asserting that famine just started in 2001 ? That is just silly, and it is the Libs that are against forced sterility because it takes away peoples "right to conceive".............

[Tock]

So you are asserting that famine just started in 2001 ? That is just silly, and it is the Libs that are against forced sterility because it takes away peoples "right to conceive".............

Y'know Logan, I'm starting to think you actually like me -- -- You're forever finding excuses to continue conversation with the smallest of small talk.

Are you going to have a Ted Haggard moment one of these days?

[Logan13]

Y'know Logan, I'm starting to think you actually like me -- -- You're forever finding excuses to continue conversation with the smallest of small talk.

Are you going to have a Ted Haggard moment one of these days?

just clearing the air of inaccuracies.........

[DTBusta]

haha Tock...Logan that totally is not kool "survival of the fittest" they are human beings, not the discovery channel.

see I don't get it, I thought at one point the Bush supporters were religious caring people. They apparently are not, they are the type of people to see 600,000 dead in Iraq and many dying in Darfur and not care and say "survival of the fittest" , this is the party with morals,the one that has chirstian followers? Oh right it is, its the one that accepts Ted Haggert as their very own hypocritical pastor. Shame on you. And Im not a democrat so don't come back with crap like that. You can't spin your own ignorance Logan..

[Tock]

this is the party with morals,the one that has chirstian followers? Oh right it is, its the one that accepts Ted Haggert as their very own hypocritical pastor.

Ted Haggart is ok now -- he underwent 3 weeks of "pray the gay away" counseling, and now they say he's "completely heterosexual."
Ha . . .

[aolsux00]

Before I say what I'm about to say, I would like to say I do donate money to the poor and the unfortunate, and I'm sorry if I do offend anyone, but people who are poor and cannot feed themselves should not be having children. In fact, it should be a crime. The same way it is a crime in the US to starve your child on purpose. They know they cannot feed themselves adequately, why the hell are they having children. Sorry if I offended anyone, but hurts me every time I see a picture of a child where his/her rib cages are showing and they have nothing but skin covering their bones.

[Logan13]

haha Tock...Logan that totally is not kool "survival of the fittest" they are human beings, not the discovery channel.

see I don't get it, I thought at one point the Bush supporters were religious caring people. They apparently are not, they are the type of people to see 600,000 dead in Iraq and many dying in Darfur and not care and say "survival of the fittest" , this is the party with morals,the one that has chirstian followers? Oh right it is, its the one that accepts Ted Haggert as their very own hypocritical pastor. Shame on you. And Im not a democrat so don't come back with crap like that. You can't spin your own ignorance Logan..

Honestly, your post reads like a man who tries to speak without any teeth. If you are bothered by something going on in the world, than get involved and do something about it. Bitching in a forum does not equate to getting involved. BTW, your constant whining is getting old. Why don't you get off your ass and ACT! I suppose calling me ignorant could qualify as a flame, which we all know that the mods are paying close attention to. I guess that the difference is that I can defend myself. Regardless, I find you to be as much of a cognitive threat as Chris on Family Guy........

[DTBusta]

Honestly, your post reads like a man who tries to speak without any teeth. If you are bothered by something going on in the world, than get involved and do something about it. Bitching in a forum does not equate to getting involved. BTW, your constant whining is getting old. Why don't you get off your ass and ACT! I suppose calling me ignorant could qualify as a flame, which we all know that the mods are paying close attention to. I guess that the difference is that I can defend myself. Regardless, I find you to be as much of a cognitive threat as Chris on Family Guy........

I don't wine mr kool, I like pointing out hypocricy when I see it..be blatantly ignorant for all I care, your the one that is always wining and attacking me, btw your little fight with juicedoutbrain that time was pretty funny when you had the balls to talk about his physical attributes..haha Im still lau***ng at the reality of that situation...your just upset your beloved party is crumbling at your feet, while I get to laugh at it.

[DTBusta]

Ted Haggart is ok now -- he underwent 3 weeks of "pray the gay away" counseling, and now they say he's "completely heterosexual."
Ha . . .

That loser is going to move out of colorado he says and open another church...wtf, I dont get these evangelicals

[DTBusta]

Honestly, your post reads like a man who tries to speak without any teeth. If you are bothered by something going on in the world, than get involved and do something about it. Bitching in a forum does not equate to getting involved. BTW, your constant whining is getting old. Why don't you get off your ass and ACT! I suppose calling me ignorant could qualify as a flame, which we all know that the mods are paying close attention to. I guess that the difference is that I can defend myself. Regardless, I find you to be as much of a cognitive threat as Chris on Family Guy........

you have no idea who I donate money to and how much from my business, I have nothing to prove to a hypocritical republican, your mentality is why Im not one anymore...so I can say thankyou for that.

[spywizard]

turned into a political thread and name calling.. tsk tsk