Charity asks for action on poverty

Published on Wednesday 15 February 2012 02:10

The world’s poorest families are cutting back on food and sending children out to work to pay for food amid soaring prices, according to a survey by Save the Children.

In countries which are home to half the world’s malnourished children, a third of parents surveyed revealed that their children complained they did not have enough to eat. One in six said their children were skipping school to work for food.

The children’s charity is calling on the UK government to help lead a push to reduce hunger and protect children from food price spikes.

It is urging Prime Minister David Cameron to kick-start this with a “world hunger summit” at the London Olympics to tackle malnutrition.

The survey, conducted by the charity in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru and Bangladesh, provides a snapshot of the hardship that families are facing in countries already experiencing high rates of malnutrition.

In its new report, A Life Free from Hunger: Tackling Child Malnutrition, launched today with the help of Myleene Klass, Erin O’Connor and Natasha Kaplinsky, the charity says that and lack of global investment in tackling malnutrition is delaying progress on child mortality.