While overpopulation is a problem that plagues many developing nations, it would be wrong to assume that it is their main problem, or that the countering of overpopulation should receive priority above all else. There are more serious problems facing the third world. Poverty and the unequal distribution of wealth are two that must be dealt with first. The causes of poverty and inequality are very complex and there is no single solution to such vast problems. However, the problems could generally be reduced by the equal distribution of basic resources such as food, land and water. These Basic human needs can be met in three steps. Firstly, by investing a small amount of capital in items such as seeds, irrigation, tools and know-how. Secondly, by restructuring education to meet the needs of the local community and provide practical knowledge, and thirdly, the government needs to be able to provide things such as advice, transport, marketing and irrigation to encourage community schemes and initiatives. Once the communities have access to such resources they are able to begin obtaining the basic needs of food, land and water. The world is not short of food. The famine and malnutrition present in many developing countries is not due to a limited supply of food world wide. There are mountains of food world wide that are being stockpiled by the developed countries. The people of the third world are suffering because they are unable to gain access to food, or cannot afford to purchase it. While emergency food aid should be provided in response to disasters such as the Ethiopian famine or the floods of Bangladesh, it must not be viewed as a long term solution. Despite enabling some lives to be saved, it fails to remove the underlying causes of hunger. The cycles of starvation continue through drought and flood, war and problems with food distribution. The solution to hunger is far more complex than the brief food aid packages deli...
