THE  United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), in a recent report, found that more than a quarter of children under the age of five are permanently “stunted” from malnutrition, leaving them physically and intellectually weak and prone to early death. This is indeed sad and a serious indictment on the current global order in which tens of millions are dying for want of food, water and medicine while a privileged few wallow in luxury and conspicuous lifestyles.
As I mentioned in a previous letter, something is fundamentally wrong in any system of production and distribution where so many of the world’s population are forced into a life of poverty and want while a tiny minority enjoy the “high” life and have at their disposal more than what they could possibly consume.
What is even more unfortunate is the fact that the provision of vitamins, clean water and other basic amenities could have saved these 165 million children from the scourge of malnutrition and stunted growth, but for the political will by the global community to make the necessary resources available.
According to the UNICEF report, the countries with the highest levels of stunted children are concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This is why the call for a new global human order by the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan is so relevant in today’s unjust world.