Third World Poverty

Three recent articles concern Third World debt, and that concerns me. Countries deep in debt like Brazil, Haiti, Mexico, Liberia, and Nigeria have cut back on social programs in their unsuccessful attempts to make payments. Who suffers most--always, the children.

Almost 10 years ago UNICEF declared that the ‘80s would be the Decade of the Children. Since then half of the world’s children have been immunized and a quarter of their parents know how to deal with health threats like dehydration and births that come too close together. Still, 14 million kids die needlessly each year from chronic undernutrition and preventable diseases.

Economic strategists are proposing feasible solutions to the debt crisis. We can work from our end, the United States, in two ways. The President has the authority to forgive debt altogether or to allow repayment in local currencies. We must urge him to use his authority. This month Congress will reintroduce the Global Poverty Reduction Act that mandates real aid for real development. That legislation will ensure that money reaches the poorest of the poor by using social goals to track progress. One of the three measures would be the under-5-years-of-age mortality rate. We must “lobby” our representatives to pass this bill.

ANDREA BURRELL

Huntington Beach