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IN-DEPHT STUDY |
| 6 JANUARY – MISSIONARY CHILDHOOD
DAY |
| HUNGER! |
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Eight hundred million people in the world suffer from
chronic malnutrition and every evening about 200 million children
go to bed hungry.
The figure rises during times of food scarcity, famine or social disorder.
It is estimated that malnutrition is the main cause of the death of
13 million children under five of treatable diseases such as chicken
pox, diarrhoea, malaria or pneumonia.
Most of the world’s undernourished people live in Asia and the
Pacific region. This large part of the world is home to two thirds
(5.26 billion)of the earth’s undernourished people. India alone
has 204 million, and in China, with a population of 1.2 billion, 164
million are underfed.
Nevertheless to eliminate hunger and poverty is an objective which
remains as a heavy mortgage on the future of the planet, despite campaigns
to increase awareness, international aid, micro-projects to sustain
development in poorest countries.
What is more, it its 2003 Report on Human Development the United Nations
warns that unless progress succeeds in inverting the present negative
trends in sectors of farming improvement, access to clean water, creation
of hygienic installations, schools, health structures) in some parts
of the world such as sub-Saharan Africa and Latin American countries
the quality of life will become increasingly impoverished.
In 23 of the world’s countries more than 30% of children under
5 bear the marks of malnutrition, with consequences also for their
growth and adult life. And how do we think that children can survive
in countries where most people live on less than dollar a day.
Countries
with highest percentage of people living on less than a dollar
a day |
| Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Uganda |
82% |
| Mali |
73 % |
| Nigeria |
70% |
| Central African Republic |
67% |
| Zambia |
64% |
| Burkina Faso, Niger |
61% |
| Gambia |
59% |
| Burundi |
58% |
| Sierra Leone |
57% |
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