A/64/279 shrink dramatically as a result of the reductions in export volumes, commodity prices, remittances, tourism and foreign direct investment, as well as possible reductions in bilateral and multilateral aid. Unsurprisingly, three quarters of the countries with limited fiscal capacity are experiencing the further damaging effects of the crisis and require immediate assistance to help protect poor households. 12 27. The negative impact of the crisis on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights and the disproportionate effect it has upon vulnerable individuals and groups must be underlined. Not only does the crisis affect the enjoyment of those rights, but it also leads to economic hardship and greater inequalities, which increase social tensions and can lead to social and domestic violence, increased criminal behaviour and weaker governance. Thus, the crisis has an impact on all human rights: cultural, civil, economic, political and social. B. The right to food 28. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the number of people suffering from malnutrition is expected to reach a historic peak of over one billion people in 2009. 13 The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates the number of hungry people in South Asia to have risen to 405.6 million in 2008 from 300.6 million in 2006. 14 29. Despite the decline in oil prices, food prices remain generally very high, at 2007 levels. 15 This, along with the economic recession, has severely impacted household food consumption. According to FAO, staple food prices continue to increase in some developing countries, especially in low-income food deficit countries. 16 This must be taken into consideration along with evidence from previous crises, notably in Asia, where poor households cut down on non-staple food consumption as the first coping strategy to save on food costs and reduce overall expenditure. 17 30. Therefore, although price increases and economic downturns can be temporary, they can have long-lasting effects on individuals because of reductions in their food consumption. The distinct nutritional needs of pregnant and lactating women and children are especially affected. Within households, women tend to be the first to make sacrifices, which can cause maternal under-nutrition, poor foetal growth and stunting in the first years of the child’s growth. These elements are known to affect the survival and development of children. In the long run this can have detrimental effects on the child’s schooling, leading to impaired human capital, reduced productivity and, therefore, lesser ability to emerge from poverty. __________________ 12 13 14 15 16 17 8 See Louise Cord and others, “The global economic crisis: assessing vulnerability with a poverty lens”, Policy note (Washington, D.C., World Bank, 2009). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008 (Rome, 2008). See UNICEF, “A matter of magnitude: the impact of the economic crisis on women and children in South Asia” (June 2009). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Crop prospects and food situation, No. 3 (July 2009). Ibid. UNICEF, “A matter of magnitude: the impact of the economic crisis on women and children in South Asia” (June 2009). 09-45276