Global Food Crisis Part 2

This is from the most recent newsletter of the Christian Relief Fund (http://www.christianrelieffund.org):

"Spiralling food costs--called a 'silent tsunami' by the World Food Program--have sparked protests and food riots in 34 countries. The head of the UN World Food Program, Josette Sheeran, described the current food price crisis as a 'global hunger emergency.' The increase in food prices is costing the lives of 250,000 people every 10 days. Up to 100 million people are being pushed back into poverty. Rice prices have gone up as much as 250 percent in the past year.

"The world's poorest are the most vulnerable...

"Rising fuel prices have made transportation of foodstuffs increasingly expensive...

"Another factor creating the food crisis is that several African nations who used to produce enough food to feed their own populations are no longer able to do so. Zimbabwe used to export food to other southern African nations. Now because of civil unrest and internal wars, Zimbabwe's people are starving. Other African nations suffering food shortages are: South Africa, Malawi (annual, chronic shortages), Kenya (recent political instability saw food stores of certain tribes burned while others missed the planting season), and southern Sudan.

"The deputy of the UNCHR recently cited the huge number of refugees around the world. Wars and unrest have caused many to leave their homes and not plant during this spring season. The most vulnerable in this spiraling cost of basic foods are: refugees, internally displaced people groups, urban poor not living on farms, and orphans."