By WAM,
Dubai : It is in the immediate interest of the Middle East that food prices be controlled so the crisis can be resolved before it?s too late, a UAE paper editorialised Monday, saying that increasing protests will test Arab governments’ ability to reconcile.
”So the growing food price worry catapults into a global demon threatening, if not stopped, to present mankind with a show of that rare historic moment when people’s most basic concerns ? food, hunger, survival ? trigger enough unrest to alter the course of history,”according to Khaleej Times.
”Food price revolts springing up in Haiti, the Philippines and Egypt are already hurting has-been governments even more than starving people carrying them out. The IMF met to discuss global market problems, but it could not ignore the hunger problem, seeing more than social unrest ahead,”the Dubai-based paper remarked.
”Reasons for the food price rise are increased demand at a time for unhelpful weather in crucial countries. Agriculture producers will fare better and prompt decision in favour a greater shift towards agri-production,”it said.
”The high rate of starvation, though, will leave irreparable social damage that is bound to eat into economic interests, providing practical reason to check rising food prices,”it indicated.
That such a situation, the paper noted, is imminent at a time of impending global recession adds to the grim outlook. It seems simply increasing agricultural production will check the problem in the long run. In the shorter term, though, the impact is going to be political.
”Already regimes firmly seated since long are facing the heat. Since the American invasion of Iraq, the political climate of the region has been shaky. More unrest, that too by the people whose first casualty is the economic engine, which grinds to a halt.
”Therefore, it is in the immediate interest of the Middle East that food prices be controlled so the crisis can be resolved before it?s too late. The Western Press has not paid too much attention to the fact that regional governments have done a fine job of keeping things calm eventually despite occasional flare-ups. Any more pressure, therefore, would be completely uncalled for,”the paper signalled.
”The coming days will be crucial, especially since the chatter has repeatedly picked up Iran lately. Surely the Arabs are up to the sternest test of their unity yet,”it concluded.