HUNGER IN THIS ERA OF GLOBAL PLENTY IS A STAIN ON HUMANITY: The World Food Programme, the UN’s food agency, has said 45 million people in 43 countries are on the verge of famine, with “acute hunger” on the rise globally. For instance, 3 million people in Afghanistan - almost 10 per cent of the country’s population - face famine. The advent of COVID-19 has made matters worse, with job losses and supply chain issues. However, even before the pandemic, things were desperate for the world’s poorest. While thousands of tons of edible food goes to the garbage bin in rich nations each day, many of the poorest in the world are struggling to avert starvation. This should trouble the conscience of every right thinking person. This is a shameful indictment of us as humans. World leaders need to find a way of ensuring that no one on earth goes to bed empty stomach. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]
AFP