IFPRI Director General Shenggen Fan on the earthquakes striking Japan and Ecuador:
I am deeply saddened to hear of the earthquakes that struck Ecuador and Japan. Earthquakes and other natural disasters can devastate communities, wreak havoc on the environment, and cause hunger and malnutrition in an already food insecure world. The Ecuadorian situation is particularly devastating. Government agencies, the aid community and businesses must work together to help the Ecuadorian people cope with the devastating shock and build resilient food chains to ensure that hunger does not linger as an aftershock of these earthquakes.
For more information on IFPRI’s research on how government agencies, businesses, and non-profits can work together to distribute aid and help those affected by an earthquake, take a look at “Earthquake lessons from China: Coping and rebuilding strategies.”