Famine; The current crisis impacting thousands just across the sea
119 BILLION POUNDS
Each year, 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States. That equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year. Shockingly, nearly 40% of all food in America is wasted.*
Contrastingly, just a two hour plane ride from Miami, lies a country experiencing over 500 deaths a day due to starvation. Almost half of Haiti’s 11 million people are currently experiencing acute food insecurity and the numbers are only expected to rise.
HOW DO PEOPLE STARVE TO DEATH?
When we hear numbers like this it can be difficult to wrap our heads around. It is hard to understand how people simply do not have enough food. We wonder if that means there is no food available or are people so poor they can not afford food? Well, as with most elements of social justice, there are many components that contribute to the problem, which is why it can feel so hard to solve.
For Haiti, malnutrition and starvation is material poverty. This has been an ongoing issue for decades. Political unrest, unjust trade sanctions, lack of access to education and most recently an absence of strong political presence since the assisination of President Moise in 2021, are all perpetrators of nation-wide poverty.
This combination of poverty contributors leads to more than just daily struggles, its repercussions are deadly. Gangs have taken over neighborhoods, gradually gaining control over the majority of the country. This prevents street vendors from selling their goods, it stops transportation of imported goods and food, and halts access to gas and diesel which has dire consequences for food security.
THE STATS
“As anticipated in the September 2022 analysis, high inflation, fueled by the depreciation of the gourde against the dollar and the rising cost of transportation, as well as the deteriorating security climate, continue to reduce the purchasing power of the poorest households, who are forced to resort to unsustainable livelihood coping strategies. The country's level of structural vulnerability also explains why many households are extremely sensitive to shocks (climate hazards, price increases, crop losses, etc.) and are particularly prone to acute food insecurity.”**
Courtesy of Haiti Health Network
A SMALL SOLUTION
This is a serious problem with mass casualties, many of which are elderly and children. With the help of your donations, one of the ways we are combating this devastating reality is by ensuring each of the 600+ students at ECCA school in La Pointe receives a hot meal. We do our best to source this meal with local produce and community members receive employment in helping to prepare these meals. For many children, it is the only meal they will receive that day.
For as little as $36 a month you can ensure each student has a nutritious meal dailly, combating the dire circumstances beyond their control.
This may seem like a drop in the bucket, but for those hungry bellies it is so much more. It is hope. I don’t speak these things lightly and it is a delicate situation to explain while maintaining the dignity of those we serve. But, it is an unfortunate reality for millions. We know a holistic approach is always best that is why meals are paired with education, and education with healthcare, and healthcare with entrepreneurship. There are no easy solutions and we rely on our local leaders to continue guiding us. Thank you for your willingness to be part of something beyond ourselves.
https://www.lapointefoundation.org/donate
*FeedingAmerica.org, 2023
**Haiti Health Network 2023 Acute Food Insecurity Report