Friday, February 13, 2009

It's the poor who suffers

The world's poor are bearing the brunt of the global recession and finance ministers from the Group of Seven rich nations meeting in Rome this week must take action to help them, poverty campaigners said.
"They (world leaders) meet to discuss the environment and achieve nothing. They meet to tackle world hunger and achieve nothing. I think the more they meet, the more problems they create," said Anna Stroppiani. We can only agree with those sentiments .

An economic crash that may empty Congo's state coffers within weeks has saddled the country's poor masses with rising prices and a sliding currency, threatening yet more instability in the vast African state.
"The prices have all gone up, and the economy is on its knees," said a woman haggling for bread with a kerb-side vendor at the chaotic central market in Kinshasa, the dilapidated capital and home to over 8 million people. "A child can't just eat bread. It's not enough," she said
A loaf that cost 100 Congolese francs just two months ago today sells for 150 francs. Essentials like flour, rice, and meat have been subject to similar price hikes. For many of Congo's poor, paying more is not an option. They must simply eat less.

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