Feed Your Kids!

Sojourners Magazine, Mar 2005 by Berger, Rose Marie, Betz, Mark

STATS

Rich countries have fallen deplorably short of their U.N. Millennium Development Goals to cut global poverty in half by 2015, according to "Paying the Price: Why Rich Countries Must Invest Now in a War on Poverty," a report released by Oxfam in December. In 1970, the United Nations set a target that 0.7 percent of the wealthiest countries' national incomes be set aside for global poverty reduction. If accomplished, the $120 billion generated could meet the development goals. Only five of the 22 wealthiest nations have met their goal-none of them from the G7 countries. "The world's poorest children are paying for rich countries' polices on aid and debt with their lives," said Oxfam director Barbara Stocking.

45 million * The number of children who will die unnecessarily by 2015 if current giving trends of rich nations continue.

$120 billion * The total amount needed to halve poverty by 2015.

$616 billion * The annual military spending of rich countries.

$1.53 * The amount rich countries spend on foreign aid per person per week, equal to the cost of a cup of coffee.

0.14 * The percent of national income the United States allocated for foreign aid in 2003, equaling one-tenth of U.S. spending in Iraq.

Source: "Paying the Price: Why Rich Countries Must Invest Now in a War on Poverty" (Oxfam International, December 2004).