UN expresses concern over rising food pricesPDFPrintE-mail
World
Written by Chris Perver  
Tuesday, 11 March 2008 06:22

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has expressed his concern over the rising food prices in a recent interview with the BBC. The Secretary General stated that UN relief agencies could be forced to ration the amount of food aid they distribute if current trends continued, and that the high prices could hamper their ability to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals, which aspire to halve world poverty by the year 2015. Last year Australia was forced to slash its wheat harvest forecast by around 30%, after prolonged drought decimated crops. Record flooding across the United Kingdom, Europe and Africa also severely affected cereal crop yields in these countries, pushing the price of wheat higher. As a result, many of the poor in countries such as Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Afghanistan can no longer afford to buy bread. 

Quote: "Mr Ban said that "many countries in particular in Africa they now have to pay double or triple the price for their bread," and warned that this would lead to increased malnutrition. "This will all affect our MDG programmes - I am very much seriously concerned about this," he said. The change has been blamed on poor harvests, population growth, rising energy and grain prices, the effects of climate change, and a shift to biofuel crops.

It has already been described by some officials as the "perfect storm for the world's hungry", a combination of factors which have converged together to form a deadly storm of starvation, famine and disease and death. This situation, I believe, is different from any ordinary famine or economic depression. This is on a global scale, and it doesn't look like things are going to improve any time soon. This world has been marked for judgement. According to Scripture, as we near the tribulation period, things will continue to get worse and not better. The Bible states that one of the conditions that will characterize the tribulation period will be famine and hyper inflation, followed by disease and death (Revelation 6:5-8). But relief has been provided for all who will come to Jesus Christ for rest...

Acts 11:27-30
And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

As I commented yesterday, Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life, which if a man eat, he will live forever (John 6:51). And He is the Living Water, which if a man drink, he will never thirst again (John 4:14). And Jesus Christ said that "whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die", John 11:26. Jesus also said that if you do not believe on Him for salvation and you die in your sins, where He is, there you cannot come (John 8:21, 24). God's promise of eternal life is to the living, not to the dead. Do not leave it until it is too late. Trust in Jesus Christ for salvation today.

Source BBC

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