Food.
It’s become a frequent topic of conversation as the price of groceries and other essentials continues to skyrocket around the globe. Perhaps you’ve even had those talks with your friends and family.
Maybe that loaf of bread is more expensive than you remember … or perhaps you went to three different stores, and they were all sold out of the meat you were looking for.
The shortage of food — and the expense that comes with it — has become a global problem, especially for impoverished families. The good news is that you can help meet their most urgent needs this World Food Day.
And thanks to a $25,000 matching gift, every dollar you give will DOUBLE!
Watch the video to see the global impact of rising food prices:
Did you know people living in poverty spend 60-80% of their income on food? These are people who often earn less than $2 a day. You see, prices may have increased, but their wages haven’t. Many must choose between feeding their children and sending them to school or paying rent.
This way of life is hard to imagine … but it’s the reality for many families across the globe right now.
Here are a few countries struggling to cope with increasing prices:
Afghanistan
As food prices continue to rise, displaced Afghan families are finding it harder to survive
As you know, displaced families in Afghanistan have been struggling to survive since the Taliban took over last summer. Unfortunately, rising food prices and a lack of job opportunities are pushing them into even deeper poverty.
Some Afghan refugees are so desperate to buy food that they’ve started selling their daughters into early marriages.
“I was forced to sell and marry [off] my small daughter who is 10 years old,” one Afghan father said. “She was very upset … as she wanted to go to school, but she didn’t reach her dream.”
According to our partners, Afghanistan is headed toward another harsh winter. Farmers can’t afford the fertilizer and fuel needed to tend their fields, so many of the crops will go to waste, causing the price of what little bit of food is available in stores to go up.
Rwanda
Families living in poverty can’t afford to buy food, which means they’re one step closer to starving to death
Food prices in Rwanda have also skyrocketed. Staples like cornmeal, rice, and beans have doubled, and the cost of sugar has increased 350% since before the pandemic!
Rwanda depends on imports from outside countries to meet most of its needs. The country has few factories, so building materials, food, and other items are brought in from thousands of miles away.
The war in Ukraine has affected many of these imports, making it difficult for struggling families trying their best to feed their children.
“The prices of petroleum products affect [Rwandans] because literally everything gets to us through wheels and trucks,” our Rwanda partner said. “So when their prices go high, automatically everything else increases.”
Nepal
Without your help, dangerously low crop supplies will negatively impact many Nepali households
Many people in Nepal depend on rice — but their upcoming harvest season doesn’t look promising. Farmers didn’t have access to chemical fertilizers earlier this year, and a recent summer heatwave scorched many of the crops that were left.
Nepal usually depends on India for part of its rice supply, but in an attempt to help its own economy, India imposed a high tax on several exports, including rice. This means the people of Nepal can’t afford to buy rice from their neighboring country. They’ll have to depend solely on their own crop production … but fewer crops mean higher prices in stores.
People like Anila and Lakpi were already struggling to make ends meet. Now, they’re seeing the cost of rice double. They keep waiting for prices to stabilize, but there seems to be no end in sight.
Cuba
Families in western Cuba are struggling to deal with food shortages and the destruction left behind by Hurricane Ian
Cuba is yet another country facing an increase in prices. Before Hurricane Ian slammed the western region this September, the nation was already dealing with an economic crisis. Daily blackouts were common, and limited access to food and medicine left many families without basic essentials.
Now, the situation in Cuba is even worse. Not only are hurricane victims busy cleaning up the debris, but they’re also struggling more than ever to get food.
Without electricity, people lost whatever was in their freezers and refrigerators. Farmers lost their crops to flooding. And since the value of the Cuban peso has diminished more than 200% in just a year, families have no clue how they’ll be able to afford food in the days ahead.
These are the kinds of hardships men, women, and children around the globe are facing. But today — on World Food Day — you can rush to their sides and help meet their most urgent needs.
Remember, every donation DOUBLES thanks to a $25,000 matching gift. That means your generosity will make TWICE the impact!
It usually takes $12 to provide aid to one person in need, but with the matching gift, just $12 is enough to help TWO people by providing them with food and other essential aid!
Please give today to help provide food, clean water, medical care, God’s Word, and more for 2x as many people in need.