By ROSE MARSH, Kid Reporter, age 11
The United States is the world’s largest food donor, but much of the food it gives away isn’t good for young children. PHOTO: Jaspreet Kindra/IRIN
In some countries in Africa, the children are severely malnourished. The United States provides corn and soy blend to people who are hungry in Africa, however the food does not provide the nutrients kids need. “The U.S. and European Commission must ensure that their contributions to nutrition programs are used to provide children with nutritionally adequate and not substandard food,” says Dr. Unni Karunakara, Doctors Without Borders International Council President.
In Africa, many babies can’t survive because the corn and soy blend doesn’t have the right amount of protein and nutrients that a child needs. There is a medicine that nourishes everybody back to health after eating so much of this, but it is not easy to get (because you need money to buy it). The medicine comes in a little packet and you eat it like yogurt.
Somalia is one of the many countries that is in extreme poverty. Somalia isn’t able to get this medicine because of how poor it is, so a person really doesn’t have any alternative options but to die. You can eat the corn and soy blend and get very sick and possibly die, or starve to death.
To raise awareness about this issue, Doctors Without Borders has started a campaign, starvedforattention.org. Visit the website to learn more.
