Sunday, September 23, 2018

Argentina's Food Insecurity

We are all aware Argentina is facing a situation of economic and financial crisis. Argentina produces enough food to provide enough food for its 42 million population, however there is no doubt that "poverty is closely linked to food insecurity," and "since the end of last year and in parallel with the economic crisis, poverty rates have begun to increase at an alarming level, in particular, affecting children," according to  Hilal Elver, the UN special rapporteur on the Right to Food. "The last official statistics available indicated a poverty rate of 25.7 percent in the second half of 2017 and extreme poverty at 4.8 percent." 

This represents 12.25 million people, who don't have an adequate nutrition guaranteed.

The rapporteur also highlighted "an increasing number of people going to soup kitchens or skipping meals, and children being forced to rely for their daily meals entirely on school feeding programs."

The current economic and financial crisis in Argentina is "declining purchasing power and increasing food prices," and all measures should be undertaken so the people's right to food is not in danger, he explained. Hilal Elver highlighted her desire "to recall that all human rights are interconnected and the right to food cannot be achieved without the right to adequate housing, education, health for all including migrants, indigenous peoples, peasants, children and elderly."

https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/UN-Report-Argentines-Facing-Serious-Food-Insecurity-Issue-20180922-0002.html




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