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Food scarcity, global warming, and rocketing food and fuel prices have led to a dangerous global food crisis, plunging an extra 100 million people into poverty.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the world's poorest countries can expect the cost of imported food to rise 56%, and 37 countries face food crises and consequences like malnourishment, starvation and civil unrest. From deadly demonstrations on the streets of Haiti, Egypt and Yemen and vast queues for government subsidised food in the Philippines, Pakistan, Indonesia and Kenya, to a pasta boycott in Italy, the effects of soaring food prices are being felt globally.
Once the price of rice or wheat has risen, other factors start to deteriorate the situation. People start panicking and hoarding, as speculators buy up supply and food producing countries impose export controls to try and preserve food for their own people. This then means less is available for export to countries which rely on food imports. The increasing cost of grains increases the price of meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.
There is no one cause for the food price hikes we are witnessing, but contributing factors include: erratic weather caused by climate change, rising oil prices, market speculation, a burgeoning world population and the shift in agricultural production from food to biofuels.
Price Increase
Afghanistan - A bag of wheat flour cost around 1,100 Afghanis ($22) last year now costs around 3,500 Afghanis ($70), an increase of almost 200%.
The dramatic wheat price increases in Afghanistan have led the UN World Food Program (WFP) to estimate that 425,000 households can no longer afford to buy food.
Egypt – In Egypt wheat has risen by around 150%, soaring from 180 LE per ton ($33) in 2007 to 450 LE per ton ($84) in 2008 and cooking oil has risen by around 57% from 7 LE ($1.3) to 11 LE ($2)
Iraq – 50kg of wheat flour cost 4,000 ID ($3.3) in 2007 and now costs 10,000 ID ($8.3), representing a rise of 150%. Fifty kg of rice cost 19,700 ID ($16.4) and now costs 50,000 IQD ($41.6), a rise of 154%.
Pakistan – A bag of flour has risen by 130% and a bag of Basmati rice has risen by 70%.
Palestine – A 50kg bag of wheat flour cost $20.05 in 2007 now costs $36.94, a rise of 84%, 1 kg of milk powder has risen from $7.62 to $8.19.
Yemen – In Yemen rice has risen by around 133 percent, soaring from 3,000 YR ($15) to 7,000 YR ($35). Milk has risen by 47 percent.
Out of the 36 countries currently facing a food crisis, 21 are in Africa, where 2.9 million people die each year due to hunger. 315 million people in sub-Saharan Africa alone live on less than $1 a day.
Islamic Relief has implemented many emergency and non-emergency feeding programs in various countries. Your urgent help is needed to bring relief and save lives during this global food crisis. |