madhumsr

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Invest in the Future: Cut Hunger in Half

No one is immune from the worsening global economic crisis, but some had very little to lose even before the crisis hit. One in seven people around the world go to bed hungry each night — and they're finding it even harder to feed themselves and their families.

Here in the World, our governments found the money to bail out banks and insurance companies when they got into trouble. We must also bank on investing critical resources in the one billion people around the world who can't get enough to eat.

Hunger isn't only an empty feeling in the belly; it also creates gaping holes in communities. Malnutrition impairs a child’s ability to learn and a parent’s ability to earn a living, making it more difficult to break the cycle of hunger and poverty.

The ravages of hunger don't only cost them dearly, it also costs us. Chronic hunger erases an estimated $30 billion per year in productivity from the global economy. If you multiply that over the lifespan of the children who don’t get enough to eat today, the World Food Programme projects that cost could top a trillion dollars.

You can help mitigate the human costs of hunger. Ask government to invest in a healthy and productive future for all children. Tell them to support a federal budget that funds a comprehensive effort to fight hunger and poverty around the world. Do your parts to make sure families never have to go to bed hungry again.

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