Action Aid Sierra Leone the leading British non governmental organization that focuses on poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment in deprived communities in society has said that the root cause of hunger lies in the denial of rights and unequal access and control over natural resources.
Action Aids believes that “the right to food is one of those rights that is understandable and was endorsed with such urgency, yet it is one of those rights that is routinely and systematically being violated over the years.”
The reality according to Action Aid Sierra Leone is that 70% of the population lives below the poverty line and 26% are food poor meaning they cannot afford a basic meal a day and the number is expected to increase given the global food trend statistics have shown.
Women and children are usually the most disadvantaged when hunger strikes whilst others also find it very difficult to access government support such as seeds, tractors, fertilizers and extension support services.
Thomas Johnny the Policy Research and Advocacy Manager at Action Aid Office in Sierra Leone yesterday explained to Journalists that Action Aid will join in mobilizing for changes in policy and practice to realize the right to food for increasing numbers of people in Sierra Leone using human rights based approach.
Johnny said UDHR and the ICESCR reaffirms the right of every one to have access to safe and nutritious food consistent with the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of every one to be free from hunger so as to be able fully to develop and maintain their physical and mental capacities.
He said Action Aid will continue to work so as to strengthen the right to food, ensuring women have the right to inherit and own land, promote government’s increased investment in small holder farming and the implementation of a national universal school feeding program as a means of mitigating the impact of hunger in the achievement of education.
Concluding the Research Manager said Action Aid has launched Hunger Free Campaign for a more united and more effective force for change in ending poverty in Sierra Leone.
Abdul Deen Sesay the Governance and Campaign Coordinator also said that Action Aid will be organizing a symposium on hunger and poverty today at the Atlantic Hall National Stadium in Freetown to lobby with policy makers to allocate more funds to reduce hunger and poverty.
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