Global Issues
Losing 50% of the world’s languages by 2100
By the year 2100, many linguists estimate, half of the world’s 6,912
distinct languages will be extinct. At present, 548 of them retain
fewer than ninety-nine speakers. We can expect to lose a language every
ten days; and behind each of these disappearances lies a story of
cultural loss, sadness and isolation. The Times Literary Supplement.
World Food Program announces program to help hunger hot spots
A U.N. agency rolled out a $214 million program Tuesday to help 16 needy places hit hard by high prices for food and oil, amid a crisis already making it hard for aid groups to provide enough food for the world’s hungry. In AP.
No maize, no peace in Zimbabwe
Maize is a strategic crop that is necessary for the maintenance of
social tranquility. Without the staple food Zimbabwe
will descent into chaos. It needs seed, fertilizers, fuel and other things to grow it locally. In Harare Tribune.
Aid staff cannot help millions facing famine in Somalia
Hunger levels in Somalia are the worst in 20 years. 1 in 6 under-5s acutely malnourished. 23 aid workers killed, 18 abducted, and the area off-limits to aid agencies. In Telegraph.
Ethiopia’s toxic cocktail of drought, inflation, conflict, plagues.
Ethiopia faces a toxic cocktail: drought, global inflation, armed conflict, and plagues. At least 14 million need food aid. USA Today.
World Vision calls for protection of children in food crisis
World Vision recognises that there are
both short and long-term implications of the current food crisis.
Urgent measures need to be put in place to ensure children and their
families have access to nutritious food. WV calls on the international community to prioritise the protection of children’s rights.
Australia: pray for rain
Australians are asked to pray for rain: some areas are in the worst drought in over 40 years with cattle properties destocked and dams dry.
Mass evictions may follow lake grab in Phnom Penh
A plan to redevelop Phnom Penh’s largest remaining natural lake into a residential and shopping precinct has ignited a storm of protests and claims that it could result in the largest eviction in Cambodia’s post-war history. In IPSNews.
What the world eats: a cultural photo review
Here’s a great photo series, “What the world eats,” that wonderfully shows differences in cultures. Here’s the book, with even more photos.
Statistics on food and hunger
Hunger kills more people annually than: AIDS, malaria, TB combinedHungry in USA: 1 in 10Hungry children in USA: 1 in 5Amount of food wasted each year in USA: 96 billion poundsHat tip: World Vision Radio
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