Providing Food for the Poor - Essay Example

Beriberi primarily results from a lack of vitamin B or thiamin. Poor people who suffer from malnutrition have a high likelihood of developing beriberi, as well as other deadly diseases such as anemia and scurvy (Karlan & Appel, 2012). Diseases increase the likelihood of nutritional deficiency; therefore, poor people are at great risk of malnutrition. In addition, poor people, especially in underdeveloped and developing countries also die as a result of problems with the land they live on and till, for instance, famine and drought are known to cause massive losses of human lives amongst poor people.

Children are the most affected group of people in the event of such tough climatic conditions.    To date, famine is one of the most common causes of death in underdeveloped and developing countries. Most of these deaths occur among children who often receive small food portions if any, despite the fact that they need it the most since they are still growing. During tough climatic conditions such as drought and famine, countries’ food supplies decrease substantially (Karlan & Appel, 2012).

Poor people, especially those in underdeveloped countries suffer all these problems, and it is up to the privileged members of the society to assist them. It is quite possible to deter suffering and death or poor people as a result of inadequate food and malnutrition. People should give sufficient food supplies to poor people because all human beings are entitled to lead healthy and fulfilled lives, which includes having sufficient food quantities and quality. From an ethical point of view, people should provide food to the poor since it is the morally upright thing to do.

Ethical principles such as utilitarian principles advocate for people to give up their interests for the wellbeing of the greatest number of people. Sacrifice, in this sense, does not mean giving to the poor more than a person can afford, but rather means giving up something of value to oneself in order to ensure that others attain benefits. This could mean, for instance, sacrificing two days’ lunch every week and donating the food to the beggar in the streets or sending money to nongovernmental organizations that supply food to poor individuals in other parts of the world.