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U.N.: Don't Leave Poor Countries in the Cold
October 15, 2008 7:51 AM
BY PHOEBE NATANSON, ABC News Rome
“The global financial crisis should not make us forget the food crisis,” said Jacques Diouf, director-general of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, as he strongly urged governments not to reduce aid to developing countries or introduce protectionist trade measures.
Diouf spoke today in Rome to mark the 34th session of the FAO's Committee on World Food Security. He cautioned that any measures to cut aid would only increase the risk of another food crisis occurring next year in these hard-hit countries.
"The great uncertainty now enveloping international markets and the threat of global recession may tempt countries towards protectionism and towards reassessing their commitments to international development aid," he said, adding, “it would be unfortunate if this were to be the case and the recently mobilized political will towards enhanced international support for developing country agriculture were to evaporate."
According to an FAO report, notwithstanding a record cereal harvest expected in 2008, about 36 countries around the world are still in need of external assistance as a result of crop failures, conflict or insecurity, or continuing local high prices. Any change in governments’ aid to developing countries, as a result of the global crises, could bring about another food crisis next year.
"Agriculture needs urgent and sustained attention too to make hunger and rural poverty part of history," he said.
Soaring food prices meant that an additional 75 million people were declared hungry and poor in 2007 alone, the recent financial crisis is expected to further increase the burden on the poor in developing countries. "Last year it was the pan...next year could be the fire," Diouf said.
Some commodity prices seemed to be dropping presently, mainly with the expectation of a favorable future crop but also because of a slowing world economy. This could bring about a cutback in plantings that could then result in reduced harvests in major exporting countries. This outcome of low grain stocks could result in another cycle of record food prices next year, which would be disastrous for millions who by then would be without credit and penniless.
Developing countries may also feel the financial crisis at the macro level. "Borrowing, bank lending, official development aid, foreign direct investment and workers' remittances -- all may be compromised by a deepening financial crisis," he said.
Diouf reminded his audience that governments and world leaders had agreed in June that "the international community needs to take urgent and coordinated action to combat the negative impacts of soaring food prices on the world's most vulnerable countries and populations." At the G8 summit in Japan a month later, world leaders resolved to address global food security as a top priority and showed a growing political will to reduce global hunger.
Diouf said today, "It is vital that this momentum be maintained. Unless political will and donor pledges are turned into real and immediate action, millions more may fall into deeper poverty and chronic hunger."
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October 15, 2008 in Phoebe Natanson | Permalink | User Comments (3)
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The UN is concerned over financial matters. That is the most corrupt organization ever.
Posted by: jamescbuilder | Oct 15, 2008 8:29:49 AM
They are poor because the IMF has given them loans that go to projects that benefits their rich cronies, at the expense of ther rest of their population which is sentenced to poverty, responsible for loans to projects they don't even benefit from. Read or watch John Perkins "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" We pay off the politicians and financially rape the poor while plundering their resources. That's "free trade" for ya. It's immmoral!
Posted by: hmn | Oct 15, 2008 8:42:33 AM
The UN is the most worthless organization EVER. Why should the US be responsible for the rest of the world? The aid that we have given to other countries is one of the reasons that we are in such financial ruin now.
Posted by: Denise | Oct 15, 2008 11:42:40 AM
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