World Hunger - Asia

By Jerry Price - Oct 1, 2006 - comment

  • An estimated 10% of China’s children under 5 are underweight, 3% suffer from wasting and 17% from stunting. In India, more than 50% are underweight and suffer from severe to moderate stunting; 18% suffer from wasting. (UNICEF State of the World’s Children 2001)
  • The average income per capita is $780 in China and $450 in India. (UNICEF State of the World’s Children 2001)
  • From 1990-1999, UNICEF estimates 19% of China’s population and 44% of India’s population lived on less than a dollar a day. (UNICEF State of the World’s Children 2001)
  • In 1998-2000, India produced 2,293 kilograms and China produced 4,879 kilograms of cereals per hectare of arable land. The world average is 2,067 kilograms/hectare. (World Bank World Development Indicators 2001)

Global Food Projections to 2020 Emerging Trends and Alternative Futures—China and India, (International Food Policy Research Institute) [Accessed March 29, 2006]

According to “Famine and the Future of Food Security in North Korea,” published by Food First, North Korea’s agricultural policy of self sufficiency was able to feed all it people for several decades. The report’s author and Food First Fellow, Christine Ahn, stated, “The exploitation of marginal agricultural land combined with the collapse of their major trading partner, the Soviet Union, and a series of climatic disasters sunk the country into famine in the early to mid 1990s.”

The report also states that the food supply North Korea relied on to feed 25 percent of its people has been adversely affected by nuclear tensions. Their emphasis on gaining nuclear weapons capabilities has resulted in the continuation of the famine.

New Report from Food First:Famine and the Future of Food Security in North Korea, (Food First), May 2, 2005

North Korea has stated that it no longer needs food aid in spite of the fact that by the end of 2005, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) was feeding about 6.5 million people in the country. The WFP says the famine is now over due to better conditions in the country and aid from China and South Korea. However, the agency states that 37 percent of North Korean children remain chronically malnourished. One U.S. official accused the North Korean government of ignoring the needs of its people and letting them starve for “inexplicable reasons.”

US Threat Over N Korean Food Aid, (BBC News), December 30, 2005

Further Learning

Learn more about: Citizenship, Hunger/Homelessness

Post a Comment




Notify me of follow-up comments?

Before You Submit Your Comment (below), Read This:

Thank you for your interest in the ministry of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (SBC).

Comments are moderated to preserve the family-oriented nature of this website and in an attempt to avoid comment spam. We welcome opposing viewpoints, and we will not turn comments away as long as your views are presented with respect to everyone.

Your comments will not appear immediately and are subject to editing or deletion. We will make every attempt to check new comments in a timely manner, though there will likely be delays on the weekends and around holidays.

Please follow the these guidelines to insure your comments will be posted:

  1. Use a real name, at least a real first name. We find folks are less-rude online when not hiding behind a screen-name.
  2. Name-calling and vulgar-language will not be tolerated. Zero-tolerance is our policy. We will not spend time editing profanity. If it contains foul language, your post will be deleted. Oh, and we decide what is and what is not vulgar.
  3. Comments must be on topic. General comments (compliments, complaints, and otherwise) are best delivered here or expressed on your own personal Web site.
  4. And please, do not type in ALL CAPS. It looks like you're screaming at people.

Additionally, within Baptist polity, please recognize that many issues and decisions are addressed at a local church level. SBC denominational (national) offices have no control and desire no control over the activities of a local church. This entity is not responsible for overseeing and insuring the ethical behavior of Southern Baptist pastors or church members. If your concern involves a legal civil or criminal matter, we suggest you contact the proper local officials.

Issues involving pastoral staff or other church members, local Baptist associations or state Baptist conventions are local issues. Therefore the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission cannot and should not address such issues. While we regret we are unable to assist you, we encourage you to seek a biblical resolution of the issue at the local church level. If your question or submission pertains to a matter covered in this text, it is likely we will not acknowledge your submission.

Other than that, we welcome you and hope to see thoughtful discussions at ERLC.com