Why Famine Will Not Easily Go Away in Africa
The mid 1980’s the catastrophe of famine was first explored in Africa by The British Broadcasting Company’s. The story on the famine in Ethiopia in 1984 provided the world with an introduction of the horrors of starvation in the continent. It has been calculated that in a non-server famine year as many as 100 million Africans goes malnourished. Famine is not a predictable occurrence and can happen in different times and places simultaneously or separately. It is also true that the causes of famine are not the same in the many different causes in Africa. The continual epidemics of famine in Africa have many causes.
Climate is a very important factor in the famine in Africa. During the famine on the horn of Africa, which included such countries as Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, and Eritrea, the climate was to blame for the crisis. The horn drought was due to cooler sea temperatures in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans that in turn lowered rain fall on the horn. Ethiopia’s early rainy season was hindered by lower rainfall for three years in a row. These rains are responsible for 50 percent of many of the crops in Ethiopia. Due to these rainfalls the country fell short in food production which is relied upon for survival. The lack of rainfall leads to drought, which is poison to food production and survival.
Famine is also caused by the lack of food attainment by the people of Africa. This lack in food attainment is caused by a number of things including drought due to climatic conditions. It is true however, that malnutrition is widespread even in years where famine is not prominent. When famine strikes a country the first peoples to be affected are the rural who depend on livestock and farming as a means of livelihood. Added to eminent famine, the people of Africa are some of the most numerous malnourished in the world meaning that when famine strikes, the already needy Africans are especially hard hit. It is true that as African countries have become more developed that the rates of the malnourished are decreasing. A BBC story states that over the past 30 years developing African countries in the East and West has reduced the percentage of undernourished from 37 to 13 percent. The same story also states that the figures are not as promising in the sub-Saharan region where the undernourished rate of the population has not receded under a 34 percentage. The reason why these people are malnourished is due to their lack in ability to buy necessary food supplies. This implies that the poor are the first and hardest hit in times of famine. Economist Professor Sen believes that the importation of food supplies would alleviate the malnourished of poor by providing a cushion when domestic food production falls short. This idea is logical and beneficial, however, is not a theory that could be easily put into place. A fact is that African agricultural exports gain low prices and can not compete on the world market meaning that additional aid for the food stuffs African supply now is simply not good enough to stop malnourishment.
The most immediate telling feature that causes famine in Africa is its geography. Africa relies on outside help for food aid. Africa’s geography has proved a major roadblock in bringing in help. A lot of the food that comes into Africa comes by sea. Food transportation by sea is risky because the food may become wet and then not useful. If aid is coming from the U.S. it take on average 32 days to arrive on the Continent from Washington. An added challenge of sea travel is the risk of piracy.
Logistical challenges presented themselves when relief was sent to relieve Ethiopians from famine in 2002. When the food was brought into the continent the food from the ships had to be lifted off the boat and then bagged. This operation cost over 15 million dollars to maintain. A second logistical problem is the road network of Africa. Many of the landlocked countries of Africa rely on roads to receive the aid that comes into ports. Road transportation involves boarder crossing by trucks. Many of these trucks encounter roads that are not conducive to transportation, such as, potholes and poorly maintained highways. Like piracy at sea, drivers have to be careful of dangers of intervention due to political unrest and robbery. When drivers were driving food into the interior of Ethiopia drivers faced people who threw rocks at their windows and people jumping onto the trucks to steal the highly coveted food.
One of the more discouraging factors attributing to famine in Africa is politics. In 2001 many African countries faced food emergencies. Out of the 18 countries facing emergencies, eight were in the middle of civil wars and conflict and three countries were facing the after shocks of war. The effect that wars have on the people in a country is a dispersal of people and refugees. The remaining seven countries who had not experienced war or internal conflict had food shortages due to insufficient funds to bring aid into their countries. It is true that the wars in Angola, Ethiopia and Eritrea have been some of the main reason for their low food production. The wars have also led to displace food distribution and decreasing trade networks. The problems of the governments in Africa have turned droughts and the lack of food into all out famine. The reason for the famine in term of politics is the diversion of government finances and corruption and mismanagement buy top officials and the governments of the people who face the calamity of hunger.
An example of war influencing the food aid in Africa can be seen in the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The year 2002 saw the conflict between the two countries over boarders. Eritrea accused Ethiopia of spending money on the conflict instead on fighting the drought the countries faced. It was proven by international aid organizations that this claim was false, however, this accusation only endorses the conflict between the two countries. Outside aid organizations see this conflict as a hamper on relief efforts. International organizations have to worry about their own truck being overtaken by military pursuits. The taking of aid trucks in military operation during civil war strife did in fact take place during a past drought. Aid organizations also have to face that fact that the ports of sea that are the source for incoming aid are in Eritrea and that food needs to get to landlocked Ethiopia. In 1984, one of the most horrible famines leading to international interest, Ethiopia’s civil war prevents much food aid from reaching many starving people. Added to the logistical problems caused by war some workers from the World Food Program have been killed in conflicts around Ethiopia and Eritrea, which is one place that is in urgent need of aid.
Since many African countries need an overhaul in many areas such as food planning, food aid to malnourished people so that drought would not be so devastating, a change in the way politics plays with the prospect of food aid. There is a strong reliance on outside help. Famine Africa depends on foreign aid to help through difficult times until Africa itself is sufficient enough to try and prepare for drought and famine. The fact that politics plays a role in the distribution of food is very discouraging to outside agencies and more importantly is whole unfair to Africans in need. The politics of struggling forces in Africa should overlook their differences and assist their own people in getting aid to everyone, especially those in rural areas who are the hardest hit.
Famine in Africa is caused by a combination of many different factors. Drought and malnourishment is a precursor to the calamity of server hunger. The climate and geography of the continent is a main obstacle that affects internal efforts as well as much needed international aid. Politics and war are two more obstacles that hinder aid and sometimes advance famine. Politics is a factor that can be changed unlike geography and climate and seems like one of the most promising factors that could advance new technologies in food production, distribution and gaining outside aid if needed.
