The Needs of A Growing Population

Today marks the day when world population reaches its 7 billion milestone.  Are we to celebrate or should we be concerned?  Things have certainly changed since 1999 when world population reached 6 billion.  It was a time when we believed that we could eradicate severe poverty and hunger as well as act in time to avert the worst effects of climate change.  With high confidence, we knew nothing could stop us.  Well things haven’t exactly worked out that way.  Facing a decade of economic distress and lacking progression in our efforts to eliminate global poverty, are we capable of meeting everyone’s needs?  Only time will tell.

It was predicted that fertility rates would continue to fall and population was anticipated to continue to drop.  Now, reaching the 7 billion mark, U.N.’s latest projects indicate that population will reach 10 billion by 2082 and will in fact continue to grow.  Contributing factors such as inability to access contraceptives in developing countries, gender inequality, and child marriage further induces the increase in fertility rates.  By implementing cost effective strategies in developing nations, fertility rates will be reduced and the health and welfare of the impoverished will be improved.

Another challenge arises; will we be able to produce enough food for the predicted population growth?  Enduring two major food crises, shrinkage in food stock and the impact of climate change on our natural resources, has magnified the concern regarding future food production.  Unfortunately, those living in severe poverty will be the most affected.  It is essential that we address the world’s poor first, get to the root of the problem. 

To ensure that population growth doesn’t exceed our Earth’s capacity, focusing our efforts on eradicating hunger, reducing severe poverty, and addressing climate change is vital.  Progression needs to take place or else we are doomed for dire consequences. 

-Georisa Chang

Source: Chicago Tribune

DPR Korea In Need Of Food

Three and a half million people in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are estimated to be in desperate need of food. Their particularly intense winter caused severe crop losses. The vegetable harvest was down 44% percent last year. A one year United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) operation is being launched to feed this estimated 3.5 million people and they say that women and children will be the focus, following an assessment by several aid agencies.

Since, government supplied rations only amount to about half a persons needed daily food intake, UNICEF has launched $20 million to appeal to fund assistance programs in the five DPRK provinces. Families have already started cutting out the size or number of meals each day. Therefore, under the WFP operation, cereals and the ingredients for local production of foods such as corn-soy milk, rice milk, and high nutrient biscuits will be distributed through the public distribution system. The operation should continue through the harvest expected in October, with nutrition products being distributed until then. The UNICEF assistance program will be dealing with behavioral and structural issues such as hygiene, infant feeding practices and water sanitation, all of which are extremely important for the livelihood of the population.

The overall rates of acute malnutrition have not yet reached crisis level, but it is clear that the situation is deteriorating. "We face a critical window to get supplies into the country and reach the millions who are already hungry," stated Amir Abdullah, WFPs Deputy Executive Director and Chief.

--Gabrielle Gurian

SOURCE: UN NEWS CENTER