It
started to become noticeable last summer. Global food prices went
into an aggressive pattern of increases. The cost of a kilo of
coarse rice rose over 90 percent from last October to this past
April. Sugar is up 34 percent. Cooking oil is up over 140
percent.
Around the world food prices have risen as much
as 45 percent since 2006. Many are calling this current food
crisis a “silent tsunami” that could plunge an
additional 100 million people on every continent into
hunger.
Many Compassion countries have been hit hard
by rising food prices. In Ethiopia food inflation is up over 30
percent. The March to September rains were well below average.
Eighty percent of Compassion families in this country live off of
less than 95 cents per day. It has been reported that children
have been fainting in classrooms due to hunger. In Kenya
they have seen a 50 percent increase in the price of maize meal.
The drought that has persisted over the last few years continues.
The recent political issues caused tremendous disruption to
trade, which impacted food prices. In Burkina Faso and other
parts of sub-Saharan Africa, food riots are breaking out as never
before.
At the root of this crisis are several issues. Inflation and shortages have largely been caused by: (1) worldwide bio-fuel production diverting food towards energy, (2) continued droughts and floods, (3) increasing petrol prices and (4) high tariffs in export markets.
At Compassion’s Quarterly Management Update (QMU) in Colorado Springs recently, IPG Senior Vice President (SVP) Mark Yeadon reported that, “The current food crisis is expected to worsen over the summer. Compassion projects are responding by limiting food menus and using discretionary CIV fund to bridge the gap between their food budgets and raising food prices.”
But,
God is good… all the time, and He is showing Compassion
how we can respond in a way that gets aid to those who need it
and does not destroy local markets in the countries we serve.
Supplemental feeding programs will soon start in all 82
Bangladesh projects. The Haiti country office has a proposal to
start an immediate and limited response to projects that have
been the hardest hit by rising food prices. The Global Executive
Leadership (GEL) team has met several times this past week to
discuss this “silent tsunami” and how Compassion can
respond in a way that honors those we serve and God. We appeal to
the Compassion family to be in prayer about his critical global
issue.
Here's an excerpt from a song that really speaks to me about child sponsorship. It's called "While I have this Moment".
"While I have this moment