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A vital way to restore stability among the people

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20 April 2018 12:00 am - 0     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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In  developing countries especially most social and political scientists believe that major structural changes are required in vital areas to bring about stability and security. One of these key areas is poverty alleviation as we highlighted in our editorial on Wednesday. In Sri Lanka, structural changes are needed even in the government -- meaning the Executive and the Legislature where instability has increased specially after the unexpected results at the February 10 local council elections. But even if some measure of political stability is achieved from next month when Parliament resumes sittings after the prorogation, stability and security among the people will be achieved only when practical steps are taken to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor -- a gap reaching its peak in Sri Lanka and all over the world.  


Some major United Nations organisations in a report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2017 have given a grim warning. They say that the greater number of conflicts, whose impacts are often exacerbated by climate-related shocks, is one of the main drivers behind the fact that after steadily declining for more than a decade, global hunger appears to be on the rise once more. This is threatening to derail the international commitment to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030.  


The report was issued by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The report examines the ways in which food insecurity can trigger conflicts and provides valuable insights into how food security can help prevent the outbreak of unrest and violence.  


In 2016 the number of chronically undernourished people in the world is estimated to have increased to 815 million, up from 777 million in 2015 though still down from about 900 million in 2000. After a prolonged decline, this recent increase could signal a reversal of trends. The food security situation has worsened in particular in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, South-Eastern Asia and Western Asia and deterioration has been observed most notably in situations of conflict and conflicts combined with droughts or floods.   


The apparent halt to declining hunger numbers is not yet reflected in the prevalence of child stunting, which continues to fall, though the pace of improvement is slower in some regions. Globally, the prevalence of stunting fell from 29.5 per cent to 22.9 per cent between 2005 and 2016, though across the world some 155 million children under five years of age still suffer from stunted growth.  


The joint UN report says wasting affected one in twelve, about 52 million of all children under five years of age in 2016, more than half of whom or 27.6 million live in Southern Asia. Multiple forms of malnutrition coexist, with countries experiencing simultaneously high rates of child under-nutrition, anaemia among women and adult obesity. Rising rates of overweight and obesity add to these concerns.  


According to the report, childhood overweight and obesity are increasing in most regions, and in all regions for adults. In 2016, about 41 million children under five years of age were overweight. The number of conflicts is also on the rise. Exacerbated by climate-related shocks, conflicts seriously affect food security and are a cause of much of the recent increase in food insecurity. Conflict is a key driver of situations of severe food crisis and recently re-emerged famines, while hunger and under-nutrition are significantly worse where conflicts are prolonged and institutional capacities weak.   


According to the report, addressing food insecurity and malnutrition in conflict-affected situations cannot be “business as usual”. It requires a conflict-sensitive approach that aligns actions for immediate humanitarian assistance, long-term development and sustaining peace. This report sends a clear warning signal that the ambition of a world without hunger and malnutrition by 2030 will be challenging – achieving it will require renewed efforts through new ways of working.  


The report names Sri Lanka as one of the worst affected in South Asia and the government needs to act fast in taking steps to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.   


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Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

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