The View from Haiti

by Jesse Jackson (reposted)

Sat, May 3, 2008 8:27PM

It's the middle of the day; the sun is up, the heat rising in Port au Prince, the capitol of Haiti. Thousands of young men and women fill the streets, lining up, moving from place to place. They are looking for work, any work; work that might pay them enough to eat for hunger is on the march here. Garbage is carefully sifted for whatever food might be left. Young babies wail in frustration, seeking milk from a mother to anemic to produce it.

Haiti is an epicenter of the global food crisis. Its people live on the margin of survival. According to the UN World Food Programme, the largest and most effective food aid organization here, 56% of the population exists on less than a $1.00 a day. 60% of household cash goes to food. Hunger is a constant companion. 61% of all children under 5 are anemic; 46% are women. Nearly half - 47% -- of all Haitians are malnourished.

But now the price of rice, wheat, flour and oil has doubled in the last year. In October of last year, $4.50 was sufficient to buy two full meals; now that money would buy one meal. Haiti only produces 43% of its food needs; it imports more than half. Food aid provides only 5%.

Now hunger is spreading; mass starvation is threatened. Earlier this month, Haitians rioted in anger over soaring food prices; and the legislature dismissed the former Prime Minister. On Monday of this week, a new prime minister, Ericq Pierre, was sworn in.

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For more information: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-jesse-ja...

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