Natural Hazards and Disasters: From Avalanches and Climate Change to Water Spouts and Wildfires [2 Volumes] by Bimal Kanti Paul;

Author:Bimal Kanti Paul;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ABC-CLIO
Published: 2020-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CRITICISM

One serious criticism of WFP’s fight against hunger is that it should not be addressed by providing ongoing food assistance, because such assistance is counterproductive, can increase dependency, and can contribute to the underdevelopment and marginalization of hunger victims in developing countries. Often it supplies too much food aid, leading to reduction in crop production by local farmers and creating a situation where farmers have no incentive to increase food production. To address this concern, the organization can support programs to increase local food production such as by distributing seeds to poor farmers and by providing modern agricultural inputs at a nominal price and training them to increase food production or by providing employment opportunities.

Because the WFP feeds only a small proportion of the estimated 800 million people who face starvation, the organization should deal with the root causes of shortage of food, which can be achieved by initiating sustainable development programs, controlling overpopulation, and improving food distribution. For instance, in many instances, the WFP has channeled food assistance to the national governments. However, in most cases, governments of developing countries are corrupt and impose strict control measures in distributing food, often unfairly and by nepotism.

Often, the WFP does not store food grains in its own warehouses or directly distribute food to eligible people; instead, it gives contracts to private agencies or middlemen to distribute food. Some corrupt agencies and middlemen take this opportunity to hijack food aid and make money by selling it in the open market. Often they sell the original food grains, buy inferior-quality grains at a lower price from local markets, distribute the inferior-quality grains to the people, and thus make money. For example, the WFP delivered food assistance to the 2015 earthquake survivors in Nepal. It used the stocks that WFP already had in country from its existing operation prior to the earthquake, but it distributed those stocks through middlemen. Those who received food aid complained that the quality of rice was not good. Some earthquake survivors did not use the rice, while others fermented it to produce domestic alcohol, or mixed it with better-quality rice and ate it, or gave it to cattle.

The authorities of WFP in Nepal initially denied distribution of spoiled and damaged rice to earthquake survivors. The organization claimed that it identified the problem before distribution began and removed the bags containing spoiled rice, replacing them with good rice. Yet, an investigation into damaged rice distribution among the earthquake survivors was undertaken by the WFP, and the agency later disposed of a large quantity of damaged foodstuffs (including rice, peas, and biscuits) that was stored in the warehouse at Deurali in the Gorkha district, Nepal (Kathmandu Post 2015).

The WFP was created as an experiment to provide food aid through the UN system, as the organization believes that food and food-related assistance lies at the heart of the struggle to break the cycle of hunger and poverty. Despite some criticisms, the WFP has been providing food aid not only to end world hunger but also to make the world more stable and peaceful.

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