The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same. Luke 3:11
Haiti is one of the most hungry nations in the world today. Undernutrition occurs in over 30% of children and more than 2.4 million people in Haiti are considered to be food-insecure.*
Each year, the International Food Policy Research Institute develops a Global Hunger Index for each country that considers the percentage of people who are undernourished, the percentage of children underweight, and the mortality rate of children under the age of five. Using this index, in 2009 Haiti ranked 9th among the world's most hungry nations, termed by the IFPR as "alarming." This country is without a doubt considered the most hungry in the Americas.** Haiti is also considered a "food deficit" country, requiring about half of their food to be imported due to its inability to self-sustain.*
This was all before the earthquake.
After the earthquake, it was estimated that an additional 2 million people would need immediate food assistance.* This number does not include the more lasting effects of the earthquake, including loss of trade and agriculture infrastructures.
Haiti has been in the news a lot lately, and many organizations continue to offer much needed support to this devastated area. Whether you have already given to this cause or have yet to do so, we encourage you to offer support in whatever way possible. Some organizations are offering strictly food support, such as the World Food Programme of the UN.
* World Food Programme: Haiti
** International Food Policy Research Group - 2009 Global Hunger Index
