National Post (Link) - Karen Hawthorne (June 2, 2009)
A global economic downturn could mean less eating out, "staycations" for holiday time, or forgoing wardrobe additions here in North America. Take a look at poorer countries, such as those in South Asia, and you'll find more poverty and hunger.
The United Nations reports that hunger in South Asia is at a 40-year high — the result of rising food and fuel prices compounded by the downturn, the BBC says. The report states that 100 million more people in the region are going hungry compared with two years ago — the worst affected areas are Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The report, by the UN's children's fund Unicef, cites these causes and effects of the sharp rise in people living in hunger and poverty:
- Declining wages at home
- A drop in remittances from abroad
- Poor women often go without food to feed their families
- Children can be pulled out of school and sent to work
- High prices have forced people to borrow money at high interest
- Income is spent on food but not on other essentials
What's the best strategy to help end this cycle of poverty and hunger? As the BBC outlines from the report:
Unicef says the region's governments need to increase spending on food, health care and education to alleviate the crisis. But it acknowledges that the economic slowdown means there is less money to spend.
It said that it was important for the two biggest countries in South Asia, India and Pakistan, to reduce their defence budgets to allow for increased social spending.
Governments of the region can also use fiscal stimulus programmes and aid from abroad to expand the provision of basic social services in fields like health and education, it says, while funding training programmes — especially for young people.
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