As King Mswati III, the absolute monarch of Swaziland,
wears a watch
worth US$1.6 million and a suit
beaded with gold weighing 6 kg, the World Food Program has said it
cannot raise the US$1.1 million it needs to feed starving children in the
kingdom.
King Mswati turned 50 in April 2018 and wore the watch
and suit at his birthday party. Days earlier he took delivery of his second
private jet, a A340 Airbus, that after VIP upgrades
reportedly cost US$30 million. He received E15 million (US$1.2
million) in cheques, a
gold dining room suite and a gold
lounge suite among his birthday gifts.
In
a report published at the end of May 2018, the
World Food Program said it needed US$1.13 million for the six months to
November. It reported that due to lack of funds it had to halt indefinitely the
Food by Prescription programme that assists people living with HIV and TB. The
programme offers nutrition assessments, counselling and support services to 24,000
malnourished people receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), treatment for TB, prevention
of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services, as well as support to their
families through a monthly household ration.
The report said despite its status as a lower
middle-income country, 63 percent of Swazis lived below the national poverty
line. Chronic malnutrition is a main concern and stunting of growth affects 26
percent of children under the age of five. The HIV rate in Swaziland is 26
percent of the population between the ages of 15-49. Life expectancy is 49
years, and 45 percent of children are orphaned or vulnerable.
See also
KING
EATS OFF GOLD, CHILDREN STARVING
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