|
The Daily Journal |
|
ASIA By Marwaan Macan-Markar BANGKOK - For Asians going hungry or struggling to get food, the news is about to get worse:the region will see a rise in the number of people deprived of daily meals in coming months,due to changes in the global political and economic landscape since the U.S.attacks of Sep.11, 2001. The numbers of hungry people could be in the millions, says R B Singh,FAO ’s regional representative for Asia and the Pacific here.“Their access to food will be reduced and poverty will keep the poor away from food,’’ he says. Asia is home to two-thirds of the world ’s 500 million hungry people,with the bulk of them living in South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Singh ’s gloomy forecast for the region is one of dismal predictions being made by experts here due to the economic downturn following the Sep 11 terrorist attacks. “Asia-Pacific countries will be hit hard,’’ says Kim Hak--Su, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).“The economic downturn in the United States will impact many Asian countries,particularly those with manufacturing and export sectors that depend on the U.S.market.’’ Kim ex-- pects a rise in unemployment as companies close down due to the demand for their products dropping in the U.S.market.“This will impact families,even affecting chil- dren ’s education,’’ he said here. The health consequences are as worrying.“Economic conditions have a bearing on people ’s health.If econo- mies deteriorate,it will lead to health problems,’’ affirms Dr.Bjorn Melgaard,head of the Thailand office of the World Health Organisation (WHO). He says the region ’s health systems will come under pres- |
|
|