Hunger in the World

Here they go again!

First, the Reagan Administration demonstrated how in touch with reality it is by announcing that hunger is not a problem in the United States. The resultant uproar forced them to take another look. But they have now extended their blindness to the entire world. A senior agricultural analyst with the State Department said, “The world has never been as well fed. Most of the public still believes there’s a huge reservoir of hungry mouths out there. There isn’t.”

I don’t know what planet Avery lives on, but the one I live on has 40,000 children dying daily as a result of hunger and malnutrition. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, 335 million are malnourished. The World Bank estimates 730 million have energy-deficient diets.

Avery correctly observes that there is plenty of food, but appears totally oblivious to the real problem, which is chronic poverty. Even surplus food costs money and poor people can’t afford it.

Such blindness and ignorance in high places is frightening and appalling.

DALE O’NEAL

Laguna Beach