Archive for category: Hunger

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Poverty in Yemen: An Exploration of Why the Country is So Poor

Poverty in Yemen : Why the Country Is So Poor?
Poverty in Yemen holds one of the highest rates in the Arab world. Half of the population lives on less than two dollars per day.

The main reason for poverty in Yemen is a lack of basic resources, such as water, healthcare and education. Rural and remote areas make it physically, intellectually, economically and socially isolated from rest of the region.

Beyond this, Yemen faces may other problems as well. Most of the population does not have access to clean water and proper sanitation. Ten million people–nearly half of the population–go without enough food to eat. Child malnutrition rates are the highest in the world. Half of the children under the age of five are stunted. Girls often get married before the age of 15 and never receive a formal education. Illiteracy among women is currently at 49 percent. Yemen ranks 140th out of 182 countries on the United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index.

 

Exploring Leading Causes of Poverty in Yemen

 

The poverty crisis is related to the violence and chronic hunger in Yemen. An 18-month civil war in Yemen has killed 10,000 people. It pushed the country toward a famine and increased the poverty in Yemen. Eighty percent of the population requires humanitarian assistance.

The civil war has made conditions difficult for economic growth. There are two internal conflicts in the country. The southern conflict is between the government and extremist religious groups called the Houthis. The north of Yemen faces a conflict between the government and Al Qaeda. This conflict has lasted for more than 10 years.

Government corruption and nepotism is also widespread, and government officials only elect relatives or those who are going to pay bribes. A lack of jobs even among graduates has forced young adults to the streets, leading to even more widespread poverty in Yemen.

Furthermore, the country’s infrastructure is very inadequate, and only 15 percent of the rural population is covered by the national electric grid. Transportation is expensive and the poor road networks obstruct travel.

The Gulf crisis led to the massive return of migrant workers who do not have an income or prospects of employment, further exasperating poverty rates in Yemen.

The United Nations World Food Programme delivers hope by working to fight poverty in Yemen. The organization reaches six million Yemenis with lifesaving food, meals for school children and sustainability projects such as rainwater conservation and irrigation. Ending poverty in Yemen will require the government to take responsibility of its citizens at the end of the civil war.

– Aishwarya Bansal

Photo: Flickr

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Low Levels of Hunger in Belarus Thanks to Government Intervention


Belarus is an Eastern European country that was previously one of the founding republics of the defunct Soviet Union. Like many former Soviet states, Belarus struggles from residual problems left behind by the USSR’s past influence, such as a poor human rights record and institutionalized authoritarianism. Despite the country’s rooted issues, it displays encouraging signs of development in food security. Unlike many other troubled countries, there are very low levels of hunger in Belarus.

Since 1997, Belarus has boasted an impressive Global Hunger Index score of less than five, indicating that the country as a whole does not suffer from prolonged food shortages and famine. Additionally, Belarus enjoys falling mortality rates as well as a marked decline in stunting and wasting in children younger than five years of age.

Overall, hunger and related issues are not widespread in Belarus, even though it remains a developing country. Much of the success in ending hunger in Belarus is attributable to the government’s prioritization of food security. The 1998 National Food Security Program developed standards for food security as well as measures to achieve hunger-prevention goals.

While Belarus benefits from commendably low hunger statistics, the country’s continued growth is limited by persisting Soviet-era practices in numerous economic sectors, especially agriculture. Foreign aid and development institutions such as the United Staties Agency for International Development have provided and continue to provide assistance towards privatization and free-market reforms intended to stimulate growth throughout the Belarusian economy.

Although Belarus does not struggle from significant food shortages, the country continues to face the consequences of the infamous 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor meltdown, in which nearly 70 percent of the radioactive fallout from the compromised plant landed in Belarus. Radiation contaminates about one-fifth of the nation’s farmland, and many Belarusians in the surrounding areas eat food that comes from these contaminated areas. Many Belarusians suffer from health issues caused by or related to exposure to radioactive fallout or contaminated food.

Fortunately, many organizations work to improve conditions for Belarus and its people by continuing to provide aid. One nonprofit, Overflowing Hands, brings Belarusian youth to the U.S. for six weeks every summer to provide access to clean food and a healthy environment, counteracting the detrimental effects of radiation exposure. According to Overflowing Hands, health care professionals estimate that for every six weeks they are kept away from radiation exposure, children and teens gain two years back to their lifespans. Overflowing Hands even teaches the Belarusian youth compassion by getting them involved in food aid and community service programs.

Hopefully, organizations such as Overflowing Hands will be successful in providing meaningful support by minimizing the already low levels of hunger in Belarus and finding solutions for Belarusians exposed to radioactivity. Similarly to Overflowing Hands’ youth summer program, perhaps these organizations will even succeed in empowering vulnerable Belarusians to help others.

– Isidro Rafael Santa Maria

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About the FAO


The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), of the U.N. is dedicated to providing food security for all. The organization has three main goals found on it’s website that guide its initiatives and strategies: “the eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition; the elimination of poverty and the driving forward of economic and social progress for all; and, the sustainable management and utilization of natural resources, including land, water, air, climate and genetic resources for the benefit of present and future generations.”

Here are 10 facts about the FAO that you should know:

  1. Talks about the organization first began in 1943 in Hot Springs, Virginia, where various governments were committed to the creation of an organization solely dedicated to food and agriculture. It was not until 1945 that the FAO became a specialized U.N. branch. It is the oldest indefinite specialized agency of the U.N.
  2. The organization is comprised of 194 Member Nations, two associate members and one member organization, which is the European Union. The organization is currently present in more than 130 countries.
  3. To help eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, the FAO supports policies and political commitments focused on promoting food security and good nutrition while keeping information on issues like hunger and malnutrition problems and solutions up-to-date and easily accessible.
  4. To reduce rural poverty, the FAO helps smallholders increase farm productivity, find employment off of the farm and assist communities in finding ways to manage high-risk issues prone to their environment.
  5. The FAO partners with member countries’ governments to devise agricultural policy, support planning, draft effective legislation and create national strategies.
  6. The organization responds to crisis situations by partnering with humanitarian agencies, such as the World Food Programme, to protect people’s livelihoods and help them rebuild their lives.
  7. Just recently, the FAO has reached a milestone in its Famine Prevention and Drought Response Plan by treating more than 12 million animals with diseases whose meat and milk are consumed by hundreds of thousands of families in Somalia. Animals are also a source of livelihood for many of these families.
  8. The organization provides a platform where rich and poor nations can come together to fight global issues that affect everyone. Experts from around the globe come together at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy on a regular basis to fashion agreements on major food and agriculture issues.
  9. The World Bank and FAO have recently decided to strengthen their partnership to incorporate more cooperation in hopes of making the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development even more attainable. The signed agreement includes providing the FAO with technical expertise to assist governments in projects funded by the World Bank.
  10. FAO is 39 percent funded by the contributions of member countries and 61 percent funded by voluntary contributions made by various partners.

The FAO is an especially important organization for the world’s poor because it prioritizes those who are deprived of the basic human rights of food and water while mobilizing the world’s nations to work together.

– Emily Arnold

Photo: Flickr

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Growing Population Exacerbating Hunger in Niger


Niger is a landlocked country in the Sahel region of Africa and is 80 percent desert. Most of Niger’s livelihood is based on subsistence agriculture. Half the country is under age 15 and 60 percent of Nigeriens live below the poverty line. Food insecurity is widespread, affecting more than 1.5 million people in 2017.

The main causes of hunger in Niger are over reliance on rain-fed agriculture or herding for food. Late rainfalls lead to crop failure and dry up the grazing land. High food prices do not come down. Regional conflicts nearby and recurring food crises have led to an influx of thousands of refugees which has burdened poor communities. The population growth rate is 3.9 percent, which is one of the highest in the world. The European Commission predicted a shortfall of 410,000 metric tons in cereals. Niger ranked at 167 out of 169 countries in the United Nations Humanitarian Development Index in 2010

Hunger in Niger has led to chronic malnutrition affecting 42.2 percent of children under five. Overall, 10.3 percent of children are suffering from malnutrition. Poor diets lacking vitamins and minerals has caused 73 percent of children and 46 percent of women to be anemic. Hunger is Niger was exacerbated by the climate-related food and nutrition crisis of 2000. Inadequate nutrition has led to increased risk of illness and death and damage to development.

What the nation needs is long-term projects aimed at tackling malnutrition and hunger in Niger. The main causes including lack of social protection, over-reliance on rain-fed agriculture and the growing population need to be tackled. Access to healthcare, education, credit and safe water is crucial for long-lasting development and empowerment of communities. According to scientists, to fight hunger in Niger, mobilization of science and technology is needed to reduce and eliminate future risks.

– Aishwarya Bansal

Photo: Flickr

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Hunger in the Czech Republic


Household incomes in the Czech Republic have increased after recovering from two recessions in the past decade. As a result, both poverty and hunger rates have dropped.

In 2016, the Czech Statistical Office (CSU) reported that about one-tenth, or 1.02 million people, in the Czech Republic live below the poverty line. Those citizens are dying at a rate of rate of .48 per 100,000 from malnutrition, ranking them 125 out of 172 countries for life expectancy rate.

In 2006, the depth of hunger, which indicates how many food-deprived people fall short of minimum food needs was reported to be 200, where anything under 200 is considered very low. The malnutrition prevalence for children less than five years for that year was 2.6 percent, with malnutrition defined as a person’s weight for age being more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population. In 2007, this rate had almost doubled to five percent.

The 2008 recession impacted all areas of society in the Czech Republic, especially those suffering from hunger. That year the country reported a 120 on the depth of hunger scale, a considerable decrease from 2006. The malnutrition prevalence also decreased to a mere 2.1 percent.

The bouncing rate of hunger in the Czech Republic could be a result of economic rise and fall.

Currently, the country’s economy is growing at a rate of 2.2 percent, a decrease from 4.7 in 2015. However, this rate remains steady due to the Czech Republic’s link to the Eurozone, low global commodity prices and the relaxed pricing policy of the Czech National Bank, helping to stabilize the Czech economy.

Current statistics of hunger in the Czech Republic are unavailable, but the Czech Republic has one of the lowest poverty rates in the EU. This alone foreshadows a bright future regarding the ongoing rate of hunger in the Czech Republic, that only time will accurately tell.

– Amira Wynn

Photo: Flickr

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6 Things to Know About Hunger in Guinea-Bissau

6 Things to Know About Hunger in Guinea-Bissau
Located on the Atlantic coast of West Africa, the Republic of Guinea-Bissau lies between Senegal and Guinea. Since establishing independence from Portugal in 1974, the fledgling nation has struggled to maintain a stable government, most recently experiencing a military coup in 2012. Constant infighting among the country’s leading political factions and the Civil War of 1998, have exacerbated issues of hunger in Guinea-Bissau.

6 Things to Know About Hunger in Guinea-Bissau

  1. Since Guinea-Bissau gained its independence more than 40 years ago, no elected leader has served a full term. Military coups and constant political upheaval have plagued the fragile democracy. Without a steady government, promises to eradicate poverty and hunger, like the one made by current President José Mário Vaz in a speech following his election win in 2014, have gone unfulfilled.
  2. Sixty-nine percent of Bissau-Guineans live below the poverty line used by the World Bank and over a quarter of the population suffers from chronic malnutrition. According to UNICEF, chronic malnutrition is a form of growth impediment that occurs over a long period of time, showing how persistent food insecurity and hunger in Guinea-Bissau has led to harmful long-term effects for its residents.
  3. In addition to subsistence farming in Guinea-Bissau, agriculture is the main source of income for approximately 85 percent of the population, with cashew nuts as the primary crop. Since many Bissau-Guineans depend on farming for income, irregular rainfall and volatility in the cashew market lead to periods of severe food insecurity.
  4. According to the World Food Programme, 11 percent of homes in Guinea-Bissau are food insecure, meaning they lack reliable access to proper nutrition. Issues of food insecurity in Guinea-Bissau are worsened by political instability, which disrupts governmental nutrition programs.
  5. In coordination with the government of Guinea-Bissau, the U.N. implemented a strategic five-year plan in 2015, aimed at promoting government and community collaboration in programs that improve nutrition and food security. The U.N. program is part of the Zero Hunger Challenge and the World Food Programme’s Regional Roadmap for West Africa.
  6. To support local agriculture production, the World Food Programme subsidizes the production of fresh vegetables like spinach and okra, and purchases locally produced rice for school meals. This support makes farmers less vulnerable to volatile price changes.

In 2014, Guinea-Bissau held its first elections since the military coup in 2012, and former finance minister José Mário Vaz won easily. As long as he is leading the country, foreign aid will be vital in keeping President Vaz committed to his people and solving hunger in Guinea-Bissau.

– Yosef Gross

Photo: Flickr

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Modern Balkans: Hunger in Macedonia is Moving Out


Macedonia is a relatively small country north of Greece with a population of just over two million people. Since gaining its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Macedonia has striven to improve its economic and democratic stability. As international aid and Macedonia’s own efforts to end food insecurity are at an all-time high, hunger in Macedonia has decreased drastically.

In accordance with the last set of Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations, only between 1.3 percent and 2.1 percent of children under the age of five are malnourished. A new set of goals strives to eradicate hunger completely by 2030.

Although this percentage seems small, Macedonia’s history and present state of political unrest have made it difficult to resolve issues of hunger entirely. According to a study completed this year, one-third of the country’s population remains in poverty. This rate is even higher for families with children, an issue explainable by the country’s unemployment rate, which is the highest in Europe. To tackle the looming issue of unemployment and its effect on hunger in Macedonia, the Ministry of Education and Science has worked to improve children’s access to and the quality of education.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has taken a firm stand behind this cause and worked during the past decade to institute programs that enrich student literacy and numerical competency, help disabled students and provide more opportunities for minority individuals. Furthermore, the Macedonian government is pushing its students to study abroad and also welcoming individuals from other countries to attend its universities.

Statistics at the end of 2016 indicate a strong response to this push for better education to eliminate unemployment and poverty in Macedonia. The country’s unemployment rate was reported to be 23.1 percent, compared to its high, in 2005, of 37.27 percent.

Programs put in place have already increased work readiness and lowered unemployment, which will cut off the cycle that has continued sustaining levels of hunger in Macedonia.

– Emily Trosclair

Photo: Flickr

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Focus on Domestic and International Hunger in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. The country’s gross domestic product is the 17th-highest in the world and it consistently ranks in the top 10 on the Human Development Index in the world. Hunger in the Netherlands is prevalent, even though the country contributes a very high percentage of its GDP to foreign aid. And as of recently, due to the economic crisis, more than one million of the country’s 17 million people have hit the marker for poverty.

There are many nonprofit organizations that aid in providing food to families who are in need. Foodbank Netherlands is one of these organizations that partners with food companies to donate food products to those who suffer from hunger in the Netherlands.
The government in the Netherlands has also developed a food security policy that addresses different concerns that bring about hunger in the Netherlands as well as the world. The Netherlands seeks to specifically address hunger worldwide and also focuses on the many people who suffer from hidden hunger.
While the economic downturn has seen the Netherlands own citizens experience hunger the country still focuses on foreign aid to other countries. Hunger in the Netherlands is being combated while the country still remains at the top of initiatives for its citizenry and policy reform for global hunger and poverty reduction. 
 
Hunger trends are very minute for the Dutch as unemployment is low and the country has generous social benefits that prevent the growth of poverty. The Netherlands has the lowest poverty rate in Europe next to Sweden due to government aid that subsides burden for the country’s citizenry.
The Netherlands continues to lead by example in its contributions to ending global hunger while it faces its own challenges domestically.

– Rochelle R. Dean

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Hunger in the Gambia


The Gambia, officially the Republic of the Gambia, is a country in West Africa almost entirely surrounded by Senegal. The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa, home to just fewer than two million people, about half of whom live in poverty. Here are 10 facts about hunger in the Gambia.

10 Facts About Hunger in the Gambia

  1. Approximately one-tenth of the Gambia’s population is food-insecure, and nearly one in three Gambians are vulnerable to food insecurity.
  2. Food insecurity has led to high malnutrition rates. In 2015, 10.3 percent of the population was malnourished.
  3. Malnutrition in the Gambia has resulted in the stunting of growth in 24.9 percent of children.
  4. The country’s high poverty rate contributes to hunger. Nearly half — 48 percent of the population — live below the national poverty line.
  5. The population is growing exceptionally quickly. Since 2003, the population has grown by 36 percent, to almost two million people.
  6. The Gambia is classified as a food-deficit, low-income country. It ranked 175 out of 188 countries in the UNDP Human Development Index.
  7. Due to the Gambia’s climate, the country’s agriculture is particularly susceptible to damage from climate change, with extreme weather events and rising sea levels harming output.
  8. Food costs in the Gambia are increasing. Since domestic cereal production fulfills just 60 percent of demand, the population relies greatly on food imports. As a result, the retail price of imported rice has almost doubled within the past decade.
  9. Like many other impoverished countries, poverty in the Gambia is worse in rural areas. Approximately three-quarters of the rural population lives in poverty.
  10. Women in the country are also facing higher rates of poverty. Women in the Gambia make up more than 50 percent of the agricultural labor force and 70 percent of unskilled laborers. However, lack of access to new technology and land hurt their incomes.

Climate change and increasingly low agricultural output continue to worsen hunger in the country. However, providing the population with new technology to help them become more resilient to environmental changes could help reduce hunger in the Gambia.

– Alexi Worley

Photo: Flickr

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5 Facts About the State of Hunger in Guam


Guam is a U.S. island territory in Micronesia, with a small population of 162,742 as of 2016. Issues such as unemployment and the high cost of living contribute to hunger in Guam. However, with the aid of organizations like The Salvation Army in Guam and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s distribution of food stamps, conditions are beginning to look up for citizens. The following are five facts on the state of hunger in Guam.

5 Facts About the State of Hunger in Guam

  1. As of 2013, the unemployment rate sits at 8.4 percent. The deep drop only contributes to the issue of hunger in Guam, making it difficult for individuals to work well-paying jobs and earn enough money to provide for their families.
  2. In 2015, the number of Guam residents on food stamp assistance rose 3.7 percent, with a total of 15,779 island households receiving food subsidies, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which funds the national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
  3. In 1994, one in every 8.4 Guam residents received food stamps. Today that number has dropped to one in every 3.4 residents.
  4. The Guam Department of Education wishes to expand the program to give more students free meals in Guam’s 41 public schools. This will cost the government of Guam an additional $3 million to $5 million a year to fund.
  5. The Salvation Army focuses efforts in Guam, providing millions of meals to face the threat of food security, cure hunger and overcome poverty. Donations and various means of volunteering through this outlet help kids in low-income communities thrive.

Ending hunger in Guam, particularly child hunger, is a high priority for Guam. Communities and schools have joined together in fighting the widespread problem. By ensuring that food programs extend to greater groups of people, hunger can hopefully be eliminated as a whole in the near future.

– Mikaela Frigillana

Photo: Flickr