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Why are people hungry?
When we think of food shortages we often think of people living in areas of drought where little food can grow. But the reality is often much more complicated. Food shortages are often caused by war, climate change, trade and agricultural policies, or because people are simply too poor to be able to buy food.
Progress reversed
Nearly all those who face shortages of food live in developing countries. Until recently many of these countries had been making progress and were reducing the number of people suffering from hunger. However in 2008 the world faced a major food crisis and progress was rapidly eroded.
The world food crisis was caused by a combination of factors including poor weather in key food producing countries, the higher cost of fuel, the increase in the amount of land used for the production of bio-fuels and an increase in demand for food from ‘emerging economies’ such as China and India.
Economic crisis
One of the major reasons for the food crisis is the economic crisis which has resulted in lower incomes and rising unemployment. This means that people can no longer afford to buy enough food.
Although recent harvests have been good in many countries, food prices remain high which is why there are still so many hungry people worldwide. The sad reality is that although there may be food in the markets, many people simply cannot afford to buy it.
The region of Banten in Indonesia does not suffer from regular food shortages, yet here around 40 per cent of children are malnourished because people cannot afford to buy enough nutritious food. Islamic Relief is helping villagers overcome this problem by running a successful programme to tackle child malnutrition – read about it here.
The cost of conflict
War shatters communities, forcing people from their homes and destroying the fabric of their lives. People can also face food shortages as they lose their ability to work and to grow crops, as they flee their homes and villages and as shops and markets are forced to close or are destroyed.
In Gaza more than 60 per cent of the population are reliant on food aid and more than ten per cent of children are malnourished. This situation has been caused by rising levels of poverty, the destruction of the agricultural sector and the blockade that is preventing essential goods from entering the Strip. To read more about the food shortages faced by Gaza’s population click here.
Food Security | Ramadan appeal | What is Islamic Relief doing?
