By NNN-WAM,
Sharjah : The world is on the brink of a disaster as millions of people are facing poverty because of global food scarcity and high food prices, a UAE daily paper warned Thursday.
”It may even affect political and economic stability of many countries. Unlike any natural calamity like tsunami, drought or flood that devastates the world every year, this looming crisis is man-made and needs immediate attention,” wrote The Gulf Friday.
In its daily comment, the Sharjah-based daily said :”An estimated 100 million people who were not in the hunger bracket six months ago are in the danger zone now according to a report quoting Josette Sheeran, executive director of World Food Programme.
”She calls for immediate action in large-scale and at a high-level by the international community to save these people from the imminent danger.
Experts warn the situation should not be taken lightly as the consequences of even a slight negligence at this stage will be unimaginable.
It requires, the paper indicated, the same kind of generosity and global action that brought solace to millions of people affected by the Asian tsunami in 2004.
The food shortage is threatening to affect more people across the world and destroy more livelihoods.
”World grain stocks have fallen to an alarming low of 5 million tonnes this year, just enough to feed the world for two to three months. It is not that the global grain harvest was any low last year. In fact, it topped 2.1 billion tonnes, five per cent more than the previous year. But nearly half of the total production was diverted to make biofuel leaving less grains for food.
”This year the global biofuel production threatens to consume an estimated 100 million tonnes of grains, which could have been used to feed the hungry. According to a report by the United Nations, it requires an approximate 232 kilogrammes of grain, enough to feed a child for a year, to produce fuel enough to fill a 50-litre car tank.
”According to Manila-based Asian Development Bank, the reasons for the present crisis, apart from large-scale biofuel production, include the ever increasing oil price, agriculture production costs, conversion of farm land to urban development and natural disasters.
”It is time strong precautionary actions are taken to tackle poverty. As World Bank President Robert Zoellick said in a statement that “This is a test for the international community that we cannot afford to fail.”