World must prepare to fend off famines

Ahealth pandemic could lead to a ‘hunger’ pandemic. The stark warning from the executive director of the United Nation’s World Food Program should open our eyes to what lies in store for millions of poor as food stocks dry up and godowns go empty. Extreme poverty could be a reality for more people as essentials will be in short supply. Worse, it would difficult for agencies to reach people on time with supplies and medical aid as travel restrictions are still in place; economic conditions are bleak and the developed world is dealing with a health situation that is killing thousands daily. Some may say famines are of no concern to developed countries, but the levels of poverty post Covid-19 could hit us hard. As people of a globalised order we once believed staying connected could make us immune to emerging humanitarian and health crises, but the coronavirus has made us victims of our progress. It has brought down the citadel we build to defend growth, and has exposed how brittle our shared prosperity and connectivity are. It has forced us to contemplate a bleaker future than what we would have imagined before this pandemic struck.

The poor in rich countries have been abandoned as this disease eats into the vitals of society. The rich have seen their wealth shrink while millions in the middle class are joining the ranks of the unemployed and could be staring at poverty. The prosperity gospel has been shredded as new lessons are learnt in life, albeit a little late. If Covid-19 is our current raging health crisis, hunger and poverty have been regular companions over the decades, yet the world chose to ignore them for many decades in the pursuit of profits and a connected order. Principles and the sustenance of people were not our concern. Globalisation, some may argue, has been at the expense of the poor and the root of all evil. Others see the recurrence of famines as a moral failure. We lean towards that point of view.

With Covid-19 making us equals while we develop deeper human connections, it’s never too late to create robust food distribution systems to prevent a “famine of biblical proportions” as the WFP termed it. So, what is a famine? According to the United Nations, it is a situation when at least 20 per cent families in an area face extreme food shortages and acute malnutrition rates exceed 30 per cent. Two or more people per 10,000 die in a day in an area during such a crisis. South Sudan faces an immediate threat of famine exacerbated by flood and drought. The UN agency says five million could be affected. But the last major famine was reported in Somalia in 2011. Still recent, but we never weighed the toll back then. It did not affect us as we stayed remote, at work, and in our bubbles of superiority. It is believed that 250,000 people died in that tragic event. Countries prone to drought are more vulnerable to famine. A famine struck North Korea in the late nineties killing 3.5 million. The reclusive state disallowed aid from global agencies and compounded the crisis. But it was the Ethiopian famines in the early eighties that pricked the world’s conscience. One million Ethiopians starved to death during the largely man-made disaster. The world united with concerts like Live Aid to raise money for the country. Countries have been sounded a warning as they battle Covid-19. Three dozen countries and 130 million people could starve if they are not supported as countries embrace extreme nationalism and look inwards to save their own people. Health should be the priority as Covid-19 ravages the world but if we are not prepared to tackle another impending crisis with sound policies and delivery systems for food and essentials, innocent millions could starve to death. Countries and donors should do their bit to support aid agencies. The warning is as clear as day. It’s time to heed, prepare and act.