From Ekklesia, reporter Julia Collings presents the charities warning.
Oxfam, Care International and Concern Worldwide reported on Tuesday 28 April 2009 that rising food prices in the country had created a major food crisis for the urban poor.
Whereas in some more rural areas of Kenya there are food shortages, in the slums, people are starving because they cannot afford to buy food.
A joint study by the charities in Nairobi’s shantytown, Kibera – the largest slum in sub-Saharan Africa - showed that 4,000 children under the age of five were malnourished.
“The urban poor rely on the markets for 90 per cent of their food and other products,” said Bud Carnall, director of Care International. “This has made them the hardest hit by the recent commodity price increases.”
The news came a day after the Catholic Church urged the Kenyan government to enforce price controls on basic commodities.
Cardinal Njue issued a statement on behalf of the 25 bishops at the Kenya Episcopal Conference, urging that price controls should stay in place for at least 12 months.
Whereas in some more rural areas of Kenya there are food shortages, in the slums, people are starving because they cannot afford to buy food.
A joint study by the charities in Nairobi’s shantytown, Kibera – the largest slum in sub-Saharan Africa - showed that 4,000 children under the age of five were malnourished.
“The urban poor rely on the markets for 90 per cent of their food and other products,” said Bud Carnall, director of Care International. “This has made them the hardest hit by the recent commodity price increases.”
The news came a day after the Catholic Church urged the Kenyan government to enforce price controls on basic commodities.
Cardinal Njue issued a statement on behalf of the 25 bishops at the Kenya Episcopal Conference, urging that price controls should stay in place for at least 12 months.
1 comment:
I wanted to give you a heads up about a new anti-poverty campaign from the Mississippi Center for Justice called "Standing With Mississippi": http://www.standingwithmississippi.org. It's a petition urging the Governor of Mississippi to set aside partisan politics and accept Obama's stimulus package and help help 40,000 Mississippians who lost their jobs! This is especially important in light of the fact that poverty is a major problem in that state. I thought this news might be perfect for a post on your blog. Let me know if you need any more information!
Thanks!
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