TKOH Foundation for Humanity: Peace Programs: Starvation

One would think that starvation has little to do with keeping the peace, but starvation and even homelessness are one of the major causes for wars, but at the very least social discourse, increase in crime, drugs and alcohol addiction and a host of other social problems or needs that either a community, city or even country may have. Problems are usually very connected to a few basic root causes. In this case, the supply of food.

Globally, it is estimated that more than 1 billion people live on $2 dollars a day or less. It is also estimated that more than 10,536 die of starvation per day as of 2003. In 2006 this number has almost do has almost increased by 20% and at that time the number of people starving to death daily was 12,201. This is an alarming trend as the statistics show that there is an increase. Since the time of the original report filed in 2003, there has been nearly a 100% increase in starvation the world over in in 2007.  Some statistics and reporting agencies estimate that he losses are higher. 

The other part of the problem is that food banks in America are running on empty. Recent studies show that after welfare reform many people, as much as 18%, still face hunger and inadequate access to food in America, and the situation in the world is far worse. Even though many of these families move off assistance and into the workforce, low wages, high rents, and unstable employment leave many of them food insecure, (Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture is limited or uncertain affordability of nutritionally adequate foods, USDA, 2005). With welfare reform in our wake, and welfare-to-work in full swing, hundreds of food banks and food rescue programs have fast become ground zero in our nation's struggle to feed and empower millions of and hungry people who live among us.

Emergency food providers report continued long lines and requests for food, particularly among working families and households with children. Even in the land of opportunity, an increasing number of families are having to do without adequate food, let alone shelter. This creates an instable living environment for the families with increased problems for their children in the cognitive development stages of their lives. As a result the long term problem is that children that are not feed enough get into more fights, having more behavioral problems and do not do as well in school as children who have enough to eat and a secure place to live.

In addition to the problems mentioned, in order to get many children through school, many schools have lowered the standard of education and expectations in order to meet public demands that a certain number of children must graduate in order for Federal funding to continue. With each passing generation the problems have gotten worse and children today are less capable to handle work and life's challenges as mature adults, thus increasing early pregnancies and increased drug abuse causing increases in crime and the criminal population in prisons.