It never ceases to amaze me how our world leaders use language to water down descriptions of crises events.

What was once starvation has now been reduced to the term — are you ready? - "food insecurity."

Are you kidding me? Do the polar icecaps have ice insecurity? Does diet soda have calorie insecurity?

Three Reasons For Food Insecurity

The Lake Chad Basin, the Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan are all in various forms of armed conflict right now.

That limits trade and humanitarian efforts to these affected areas where it’s most needed. When aid does reach some of these areas tribal leaders confiscate it and sell it to their starving people for profit.

Part two is a major two-year drought in many areas brought on by an El Nino in 2015/16 and a La Nina in 2016/17. In the Horn of Africa, and Southern Africa, crop production has been greatly reduced by below average rainfall. Livestock pasturing has also been reduced by the lack of rainfall to replenish it.

In Central Asia below average snowfall has limited water stored for irrigation.

Part three is due to a decline in commodity prices and currency depreciation have led to very high food prices in Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, and Yemen.

Forty-five Countries Are Suffering.

As many as 70 million people, in 45 countries around the world, are going to need some form of emergency food assistance this year.

The need could be as much as 40 percent higher than was needed in 2015.

Yemen, Syria, South Sudan and Malawi are predicted to have the most need. Those four countries are one-third of the world’s current population that needs food assistance.

Some Final Thoughts

When you look at the staggering numbers of those in need we sometimes forget how good we have it in the USA.

Yes, we have our share of disasters, and we do have our own problems feeding all the needy within our own borders.

However, due to our economy, we are in a much better position to handle those shortages than those in foreign lands.

Wars, political corruption, and nature all join forces to create a dangerous environment for those less fortunate that inhabit these nations.

While Americans have always stepped up to the plate in time of need we wonder how much of our donations end up in the hands of corrupt profiteers?

Our thoughts and prayers are with these who find themselves starving through no fault of their own.

Calling a spoonful of sugar "food insecurity" doesn’t change the meaning of starvation or make it any easier to swallow.

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