NEWS

World Disaster Report 2011 by numbers:

• 925 million people in the world are undernourished in 2010

• 178 million children under the age of five, suffer from stunted growth as a result of under nutrition worldwide

• 60% of Sub-Saharan African children are anaemic because of poor nutrition

Every year some 9 million children across the world die before they reach their fifth birthday. About a third of these untimely deaths are attributed to undernutrition – the great majority as a result of chronic hunger, not sudden food crises.
Droughts, floods and freezing weather due to climate change are expected to continue, having an adverse impact on agricultural output and food security in low- and middle-income countries.

The WDR (2011) focuses on the issue of malnutrition on a global scale. The document draws attention to the factors that contribute to increased global hunger, including poverty, price instability, gender inequality, climate change and environmental pollution. The suggested strategies to tackle this problem include ensuring food security; greater cooperation between donors, governments, humanitarian agencies and civil society; social protection reforms, including greater women support, childcare services and overall public financing.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies realize activities that carry out direct support to affected population, by providing emergency aid, including food and water, access to health care and other indispensable humanitarian aid, in order to meet urgent needs.
Parallel activities are being carried out systematically for the construction of long-term sustainability in the affected regions of the world by means of stimulating food security, livehoods, increasing and diversifying the availability and accessibility of food, which is in line with the second target set in the Strategy 2020 of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The Bulgarian Red Cross is in solidarity with the international efforts and for the past 3 years responded to more than 14 humanitarian appeals in order to help affected population after disasters in various parts of the world. It has transferred more than € 517 298. This was made possible through the response of the Bulgarian citizens, national campaigns for voluntary grants as well as through the financial contribution of the Bulgarian Red Cross in favour of these humanitarian initiatives.

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society periodically publishes its international appeals and reports the amounts raised and used in operations. Such information may be obtained from the Disaster Management Office at the Bulgarian Red Cross.