Hunger Watch

10/19: Millions of Starving Shame the World, U.N. Says
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 19 (IPS) - Since hunger and famine are still widespread in parts of Africa and Asia, the international community is in violation of the right to food as a basic universal human right, according to a new study released by the United Nations.

"Despite promises to eradicate hunger, there has been little progress in reducing the global number of victims of hunger," said Jean Ziegler, the U.N. special rapporteur on the right to food and author of the report.

More than 852 million people -- about 13 percent of the world population -- do not have enough food each day to sustain a healthy life, according to the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Of this, about 815 million people live in developing countries, 28 million in "transition" countries of the former Eastern Europe and ex-Soviet republics, and about nine million in the industrialised world.

"It is a shame on humanity that in a world that is richer than ever before, six million children due of malnutrition and related illnesses before they reach the age of five," Ziegler said. >> Read More