FAMINE AND CHRONIC HUNGER

Textbook Pg 146

Rising Food Prices Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxJEwC38Wsc&feature=related

What are your initial reactions to this video clip?

Who made the video clip? What connections can be made between

this video clip and the concepts already discussed in this unit?

Definitions:

Hunger: Not having enough to eat to satisfy your appetite

Malnutrition: Malnutrition means suffering a lack of quantity and variety of food over a long period of time.

People suffering from malnutrition may become weak or ill, which impedes other areas of their life.

Starvation: Starvation involves suffering from a severe shortage of food. Starvation will eventually lead to death if people are not able to get access to food.

Famine: A famine is an extreme shortage of food for a large number of people.

It can be caused by poor harvests or by food supplies being cut off or destroyed during wars, natural disasters etc.

Statistics to Consider

See the WFP, World Food Programme’s website for updated information about global hunger issues. The WFP is the ‘food aid’ sector of the United Nations

http://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats

Case Study: Famine In Somalia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVJhE-_RUaQ

Declared a famine between 2011-2012. 4 million of the country’s nearly 10 million people experienced food insecurity during this time. The worst famine was seen in the southern regions of the country.

What has caused this famine? What is preventing aid from getting to the people? See WFP website for updated information

http://www.wfp.org/countries/somalia/overview

Let’s Compare...FAMINE CHRONIC PERSISTENT HUNGER

Tip of the iceberg Occurs sporadically in

concentrated areas People will die from

starvation Attains world publicity

(News) and responses Aid (Food and relief) is

donated Can be anticipated and

prevented

Consistently kills people every day, worldwide (developed and developing)

Considered ‘out of sight and out of mind’ People simply appear poor, not like in famines People do not have opportunity to bring hunger to an end

(cyclical)

Most severe in children because…- Hunger erodes strength and resistance- Causes malnutrition (lack of protein and vitamins in diet)- Common colds and childhood diseases become the major killers

People affected need access to: education health care and vaccinations sanitation systems and clean water land, seeds, tools

Concluding Discussion...

Which is more destructive, Famine or Chronic Hunger?

http://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats