Rising food prices may cause malnourishment in 1.5m Indian Children

Sky-rocketing global food prices are disturbing the developed countries of the world but in the developing countries like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan things are getting bad to worse with every passing day.

According to a report of UNICEF, almost 1.5 million Indian children may become malnourished because of rising food prices worldwide. UNICEF also reports that high prices of food can become dangerous for vulnerable women and kids all around the South Asia.

The largest number of malnourished children, in the world, is already found in this region and there may be an alarming increase in their number in the coming days.UNICEF says that even before the present food crisis, signs of stunted growth were observed in almost half of all Indian children.

On Tuesday, Daniel Toole, UNICEF’s regional director for South Asia, told in the Indian capital, Delhi that it was a perfect storm; number of malnutrition was increasing in a region where they were already in majority.

This UNICEF’s report shows that the worst indicators of child malnutrition have been observed in India in this region as almost 48% of under fives in India are malnourished .Similarly, in Bangladesh they 43% while 37% in Pakistan.

UNICEF estimates that almost 40% of all underweight babies in the world are Indian. About 30% of infants in India are born underweight while 22% in Bangladesh and 19% in Pakistan.

Theses are alarming figures as there are already 50 million Indian under fives that are victim of malnutrition and these rising food prices can increase further 1.5 to 1.8 million in them.

UNICEF states due to rising food prices people have changed their eating habits in these countries .Those had three meals a day now getting two and those who had two now getting one. The quality of food they are consuming is also very poor and this low standard food is also a major cause behind stunted growth.

Almost 2.2 % of national budget in spent on agriculture in India as it has focused on Industrialization and outsourcing of services.

There is an urgent need to tackle this crisis otherwise it may bring about social unrest and political turmoil in the region.

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