World Hunger
This is an essay that seeks to examine the causes and effects of hunger in the world. The word hunger has a much bolder meaning than just what many people think. Hunger, can be interpreted as lacking sufficient food for a prolonged period of time or living in starvation.
It can also mean that a person has a strong desire for a particular nutrient. The term world hunger therefore refers to the above definitions in a global perspective (World Hunger and Education Service, 2010).According to most studies, hunger in the world is caused by poverty. Statistics have revealed that about 95% of those people in dire need for food live in the developing countries where poverty levels are higher as compared to the developed nations (Kwan, C. 2010).
Kwan (2010) argues that although hunger is caused by poverty, there is enough food to feed the world’s population if the problem can be approached and tackled in a different way. Poverty is itself caused by unequal distribution of resources in a particular country where most of the resources are controlled by a clique of a few powerful individuals. Many people earn an average of about a dollar a day in Sub-Saharan Africa and in East Asia. According to a recent study, more than 1.1 billion people in the world are hungry where more than 90% of these people live in Asia, the Pacific and in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Hunger Education Service, 2010).Hunger is also caused by conflict.
In most countries where the government is unstable, the citizens shy away from their economic activities in fear of being faced with attacks. Some people seek protection in more secure places thus end up becoming refugees. Inside the refugee camps, no agricultural or major economic activity can take place thus aggravating hunger and poverty among the people (World Hunger Education Service, 2010).Hunger is also caused by bad systems in economy where more emphasis is seizing the control of economic, political and military power. In the long run, a vast portion of the resources end up in the control of a few while leaving other issues that are of prime importance to majority unaddressed (World Hunger Education Service, 2010).Changes in the climatic patterns have also been cited as another cause of hunger.
When long spells of drought and floods are experienced, most crops are destroyed. A subsequent period of hunger follows (World Hunger Education Service, 2010).Huge debts in the developing countries are also a cause because the governments exports most of the produce to pay debts owed to external lenders like the IMF and the World Bank instead of feeding its people (Kwan, C. 2010). Increase in food prices as a result of inflation can also make people not to afford it hence resulting in hunger Effects of HungerJust as poverty results in hunger, hunger itself also causes poverty.
When people become hungry, they don’t have the energy to work or they spend most of their time looking for food as it is a basic want.Malnutrition is normally associated with hunger. Malnutrition refers to two issues where the first one and most significant is the lack of energy giving foods and foods rich in protein. People deficient of these foods appear very weak and frail. The other form of malnutrition is when one lacks vitamins and minerals. This form is not severe as these foods are not sources of energy (World Hunger Education Service, 2010).
Lack of vitamin A causes night blindness and makes victims are more prone to diseases. Iron deficiency causes anemia while lack of iron causes (World Food Programme, 2010). Hunger also causes a painful and undignified death to human beings.The effects of world hunger as highlighted in this essay can be resolved if solutions to the causes can be dealt with. Fighting world hunger can be achieved through equality in global issues as well as addressing social injustices like conflict in the world.
The developing countries are most affected by the problem hence a need to address the situation to prevent loss of more lives.
