by Eric Blair |
Poverty has been a problem in the world for a very long time and today, at least 80 per cent of the total world population lives on less than $10 a day. To put things in perspective, the minimum hourly wage in the UK is at £6.50 and converted to dollars, that is roughly $10. These figures reveal that over 80 per cent of the world’s population lives on less than the hourly pay in the UK.
Poverty is a serious global issue affecting nations around the world and many are affected more than others based on development levels. UNICEF estimates of children who die from poverty each day is at 22,000 resulting in about 917 child deaths per hour. These children die in silence and most of the richer 20% in the world are unaware of such information because the media cares more about celebrities and reality TV stars than on the issues that really matter. Here, we sum up the total amount needed to end hunger in the world.
Based on figures from The Borgen Project, $30 billion dollars is needed each year to provide food for the people living in extreme poverty in the world. Now $30 billion is a lot of money with only a handful of people having more money like Bill Gates, however when we look at how money is spent on other issues in the world, $30 billion begins to look like a small fry in comparison.
Nigeria, a country with at least 95 per cent of the population living on less than $4 a day has some of the poorest people in the world who find it difficult to support their basic needs especially food however, the country lost $7.92 billion to corruption in 2012 which is several times over what would have been needed to end hunger in the country for the year 2012. Furthermore, $7.92 billion is 26.4 per cent of what is needed to end hunger in the world for a year, and this is just the money lost to corruption in a single country in one year. Furthermore, according to a report in 2012, countries around the world lost $1 trillion to corruption in 2012 alone.
Based on figures from The Borgen Project, $30 billion dollars is needed each year to provide food for the people living in extreme poverty in the world. Now $30 billion is a lot of money with only a handful of people having more money like Bill Gates, however when we look at how money is spent on other issues in the world, $30 billion begins to look like a small fry in comparison.
Nigeria, a country with at least 95 per cent of the population living on less than $4 a day has some of the poorest people in the world who find it difficult to support their basic needs especially food however, the country lost $7.92 billion to corruption in 2012 which is several times over what would have been needed to end hunger in the country for the year 2012. Furthermore, $7.92 billion is 26.4 per cent of what is needed to end hunger in the world for a year, and this is just the money lost to corruption in a single country in one year. Furthermore, according to a report in 2012, countries around the world lost $1 trillion to corruption in 2012 alone.
The military budget for the US, the country with the highest military expenditure, was at $610 billion for 2014 according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. $610 billion will end hunger in the world for about 20 years however we live in a world where military expenses are viewed as essential however, people dying from hunger is solely blamed on fertility rate.
So how can people contribute to solve the problem of hunger every year?
People in first world countries can solve this problem without much discomfort although this is easier said than done. Regardless we give it a try to show the figures in monetary terms. If everyone in first world countries with a combined population of around 901 million people were to donate $33 each year, no one in the world will be hungry. This comes down to around 9 cents a day for everyone in first world countries to donate. Compared to the minimum wage in first world countries, 9 cents a day is nothing and this makes you wonder how something so little cannot be achieved. All these show that humans lack the ability to work together for a common good as countries solely act in their own interest. The mentality of “if it doesn’t affect me, it doesn’t exist” is all we know, sadly.
So how can people contribute to solve the problem of hunger every year?
People in first world countries can solve this problem without much discomfort although this is easier said than done. Regardless we give it a try to show the figures in monetary terms. If everyone in first world countries with a combined population of around 901 million people were to donate $33 each year, no one in the world will be hungry. This comes down to around 9 cents a day for everyone in first world countries to donate. Compared to the minimum wage in first world countries, 9 cents a day is nothing and this makes you wonder how something so little cannot be achieved. All these show that humans lack the ability to work together for a common good as countries solely act in their own interest. The mentality of “if it doesn’t affect me, it doesn’t exist” is all we know, sadly.
Remember to give to the poor, support each other, and be glad to be able to afford to be on the internet. You complain about internet bills while at least 80 per cent of people in the world struggle to survive and each day is a struggle for food. Please leave your comments on the issue below. Cheers.
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