Hungry Billion

Averting a Catastrophe

United Nations’ World Food Programme – WFP’ report says ‘the number of hungry the world over’ – who can’t support themselves and are starving to death – has exceeded one billion mark and stands at 1.08 billion now. WFP’s budget of US $ 6.7 billion to provide food for these people for the year 2009 is only 1/3^rd subscribed as on date. They are planning to cover some 10% of those in dire need of food to survive, meaning the budget is for feeding only 108 million. It works out to a requirement of just about $ 62 [less than the pocket money for even the not so rich children] per year per hungry person planned to be fed. Global melt down has rendered it difficult to raise even this fund.

The current population of the world as per US Census Bureau is 6.785 billion. This means contribution of just a single dollar per head can avert a catastrophe. Leaving the critically hungry 1.08 bn, the remaining 5.705 bn have to contribute only less than $ 1.2 per head to avert the catastrophe.

Another report some months back said ‘1% of world’s population, i.e. 67.85 mn, hold more than 57% of global wealth’. No doubt these people must be contributing a lot for the welfare of down trodden and suffering. But if they alone can set aside – $ 6.7 bn/ 67.85 mn = $ 98.75 each, say $ 100 each exclusively for this purpose, it should suffice.

Alternatively, about 30 to 35% of Indian population is supposed to be middle class and rich leaving about 70% poor. If world population also is assumed to follow the same pattern, there should be some 2.03 bn [30% of 6.785 bn] middle class and rich. If they can contribute [leaving alone the poor 70%] US $ 3.3 each [6.7 bn/ 2.03 bn], it should suffice. Looks so simple, isn’t it. Nothing can be a nobler cause than to save millions from starvation and death. Nothing can be more criminal to leave them to their fate either.

UN does not provide this food as alms and stops there. Their scheme is similar to the ‘employment guarantee scheme’ of the ‘Government of India’ providing work to the needy to earn their next meal, giving the first meal only for free and incidentally develop agricultural/ rural infrastructure etc. to ensure better food security in future. They feed millions of school children the world over – an extension of Mr. K. Kamaraj’s* mid day meal scheme – to ensure not only that the children don’t drop out, but also ensure that they get educated and can provide for them selves better in future.

News papers can do their bit by devoting some space every day for the cause, as they do in times of earth quake relief, storm and flood relief work. They can also collect and send contributions to UN – WFP. Banks can put up notices to the effect and collect and send the contributions. Government and private sector employees, Members of Parliament/ councils, etc. can contribute a day’s salary or so. Individuals can also send it directly to UN – ref UN/ WFP websites.

It is not philanthropy. It is the sheer duty of the 5.7 bn people to save the 1.08 bn from starvation and death.

* Mr. K. Kamaraj was the Chief Minister of ‘Tamil nadu’ a province in South India, in the sixties. He was a school drop out himself, but wanted to ensure education to the poor children. He devised and pioneered the scheme of mid day meal in schools to attract the hungry children to get educated.

By K.Raja Rajan. E mail; rajarajank53@gmail.com