World Hunger Epidemic - Essay Example

Hunger, how is our perception of hunger different from that of starving children andhow we have become immune to the plight of others Hunger is not just the need to eat; hunger, as the word is used by food and health experts can be defined as the continuing deprivation in a person of the food needed to support a healthy life. The more technical term is under nutrition. http://www.womenaid.org/press/info/food/food4.html Hunger has become a global epidemic in the last few decades or so. Hunger that previously was always associated with the mal-nutritional children of the dusty regions of Africa, has now become an impending reality and is longer confined to a particular geographical terrain as was the impression previously. Hunger is now an impending reality and could no longer be treated as a far-fetched notion that affects only a minority of the world's population. This problem has assumed massive proportions in recent years and has become global. This is due to a number of factors. On the top of the list is the population boom. The world has witnessed a substantial increase in population in the last decade or so. The situation is worse in developing countries. Rising population means that there are fewer resources for people which translate into some people going without food. Similarly, as developing countries have a lesser headcount than the developed ones, and they are already behind the developed ones due to low technological advancement and economic growth, the problem of poverty and hunger is further aggravated. Similarly, improper distribution of wealth, low crop output and a variety of other reasons make hunger an inevitable but much scary problem in the contemporary world. We only have to look for a few facts on hunger to realize the harrowing intensity of this global yet neglected problem, 852 million people across the world are hungry, up from 842 million a year ago. Every day, more than 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes--one child every five seconds. In essence, hunger is the most extreme form of poverty, where individuals or families cannot afford to meet their most basic need for food. Hunger manifests itself in many ways other than starvation and famine. Most poor people who battle hunger deal with chronic undernourishment and vitamin or mineral deficiencies, which result in stunted growth, weakness and heightened susceptibility to illness. Countries in which a large portion of the population battles hunger daily are usually poor and often lack the social safety nets we enjoy, such as soup kitchens, food stamps, and job training programs. When a family that lives in a poor country cannot grow enough food or earn enough money to buy food, there is nowhere to turn for help. (http://www.bread.org/learn/hunger-basics/hunger-facts-international.html) Although the problem of hunger has been addressed by the Governments and numerous non-governmental organizations including the UN, the problem still looms large and requires adequate measures and serious tackling. However, do we really realize what is it like to be hungry How do people who are actually affected by it feel and how do they respond to this malady Could we, the so-called problem-solvers and solution-givers find a way out for these craving for a loaf of bread and do we really realize the extent of suffering How do we perceive hunger and how do those affected by it see it This paper tends to critically appraise these questions and tries to find answers to them. It is indeed very easy and simple to make assumptions regarding hungry people when one himself/herself is well-fed and is sitting in cozy rooms trying to find perfect solutions for the hungry and ill-fed masses. In such a scenario, the whole problem of hunger and poverty is seen through rose-tinted glasses and it becomes very convenient for the people on this side of the bridge to indulge themselves in a myriad of facts and figures and toy around with them. Our perception of hunger is vastly different from a child in Ethiopia who is involved in a daily and endless struggle for a single loaf of bread and pure water to drink. For him, the provision of these very basic necessities which we all take for granted is a distant dream which shows little or no chances of coming true. While millions of tons of food is dumped in oceans by the developed countries who are confronted by the 'problem' of excess supply, millions of children and adults, both males and females are seen literally scavenging through piles of garbage in dumps in developing countries to satisfy the need for a bite. This difference is also witnessed between the affluent and the lower classes in a particular country itself. For example, Ethiopia would be classified as a country affected by hunger problems but a particular economic class in Ethiopia would be more affected by this problem compared to the elites in Ethiopia itself. However, it is true that we have indeed become immune to the plight of people in general and to those affected by hunger in particular. Although due to increased awareness through various media forms that include television, internet and radio etc. and the phenomena of globalization, almost everybody knows and is aware to a large extent of the problems of hunger and poverty and the ways it affects the lives of the victims, it is true that we no longer show and give it the concern it deserves. It is true that we always are affected and moved by images of hungry children crying due to the unavailability of food or of those that are stripped to their bones because they cant find money to buy food, it is also equally true that we have begun treating it as a problem that is isolated and just because we, sitting in air-conditioned conference rooms or in our lofty mansions partaking of all the delicious cuisines can't even get a whiff of what it takes to be hungry and craving for a bite. Thus, as we haven't not been through the feeling, how could our decision-makers is trusted to make laws and take measures that solve this global endemic We should look into increasing sensitivity towards this issue so that we can take decisions that address this problem concisely and accurately. But the question that needs to be answered at this juncture is that how and when did it happen that we became immune to the predicament of our fellow citizens This has got something to do with the traits of selfishness and greediness that this age of industrialization, economic booms and globalization brought with it and also due to the fake consciousness. The present age of industrialization and Mcdonaldization has also brought with it some negative symptoms as well. Due to the values of materialism, commercialism and consumerism becoming a part of the psyche of modern man, we no longer care and show respect to the needs of other men and women that are our fellow beings. We, in negation of all humanitarian values and morals, no longer seek to help out those who are less fortunate or are caught in unfavorable situations and circumstances .Thus, we just because are not affected by such maladies forget about those who are caught up in such problems. Also due to the false, biased or selective media reporting, the affluent people and those in developed countries get the impression that all is well with this world and people everywhere are leading tension-free and problem-free lives. The glamorous soaps and sitcoms that are being showed on television seem far more attractive to us then the hard-hitting and stark realities that also share the media space at times. We buy what the media sells to us and therefore, get the perception that all is good and happy with the world. We fail to see beyond our restrictive worlds and narrow perceptions that engulf us and therefore, we really don't realize the problems that might be faced by the larger population of the world. We could not, due to these afore-mentioned factors, become immune to the plight of others and are always occupied in our narrow worlds that are harmonious and peaceful in every possible way and aspect. However, all hope is still not lost. There are people and organizations that still care about people that are hungry and do not enjoy all privileges as the minority of world does. There are various organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, that are trying their level best to alleviate the sufferings of the hungry millions and who think of this problem as their own. These organizations collect funds, raise awareness through and do grass-root levels work to solve this problem at every level. It would be an understatement and a sure undermining of their abilities to say that they are not being successful. The problem of hunger is being addressed and organizations have their success stories too. But, the thing is that the problem is massive and cuts across all territorial, regional, cultural and social boundaries that it can not be worked out in a heartbeat. Instead steady measures and accurate and efficient long-term planning are the need of the hour when it comes to solving this problem. Governments, individuals and organizations need to come together to make this problem extinct so that we could give a bright and hunger-free future to our coming generations. People need to contribute more and more to anti-hunger causes and governments should take steps to end the unequal distribution of wealth and ensure a mechanism for quick and efficient supply of food products to all. Organizations should, in their individual capacity as well as with collaboration with various Governments should think of ways to do the same. Only then we would be able to achieve the dream of a hunger-free world where no child goes to bed without food. Works Cited Bread for the World - World hunger site - action, education, research, statistics http://www.bread.org Accessed October 8, 2006 Hunger Facts: International http://www.bread.org/learn/hunger-basics/hunger-facts-international.html Accessed October 8, 2006 Global Hunger Issues http://www.bread.org/learn/global-hunger-issues/ Accessed October 8, 2006 Hunger Magazine: Poetry Translations Fiction Reviews. http://www.hungermagazine.com/ Accessed October 8, 2006 The Hunger Site: Give Food for Free to Hungry People in the World http://www.thehungersite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites Accessed October 8, 2006 Hunger http://www.womenaid.org/press/info/food/food4.html Accessed October 8, 2006 Read More