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The rise in food prices worldwide is threatening the lives of people
The rise in food prices worldwide is threatening the lives of people with disability. Dave McComiskey, Executive Director of cbm Canada, is voicing concern that as many as 50 million people with disability face being pushed deeper into poverty because of escalating price of basic foods. Work by cbm in Africa and Asia has shown that persons who cannot see because of cataract are often living on less than $1 per day and nearly all this money is used to buy food for one meal a day. Lack of money is a major reason why these people cannot get sight restoring cataract surgery. Can you imagine having insufficient money to go and buy rice for you and your family to eat today – never mind tomorrow or next week? That is becoming reality for persons with disability who are often the poorest of the poor in a society. It’s a vicious cycle. People are poor because they cannot find work because of a disability and poverty itself means that a person cannot get the medicine, surgery or assistive device needed for treatment. “The needs of people with disability are often forgotten – how does a blind person find the food, how does the deaf person hear about it, how does the person who cannot walk access food when it is scarce and expensive?” asks McComiskey People with disability are often forgotten – how does a blind person find the food, how does the deaf person hear about it, how does the person who cannot walk access food when it is scarce and expensive?” asks McComiskey The aggressive price increases, caused by such factors as rising transport costs and unfair trade policies, began last year, with the price of rice doubling, which is a staple item for people in low income communities. Many of these people subsist on less than $1 per day and the increasing food prices mean that even one simple basic meal a day of rice is now becoming too expensive.cbm is asking Canadians to help people suffering with disabilities. Online donations can be paid at www.cbmcanada.org cbm is the leading international organization whose primary purpose is to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities living in the poorest countries of the world.For more information, please contact:
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