Famine taking its toll on human life
OVER the past few weeks, the word famine has featured in many news items. This occurs when a region suffers a prolonged shortage of food, resulting in widespread hunger, illness and, possibly, death.
While South Africa is not tormented by famine, there are countries on this continent and elsewhere whose people suffer acute hunger, even famine.
Famine can be caused by any one of either natural or historical events or a combination thereof.
A well-known and well-documented instance is that caused by potato blight in mid-19th century Europe. The Irish were perhaps hardest hit. Potatoes, staple food of the Irish at the time, became unavailable as the blight struck with a vengeance. The following story gives one an idea of the toll famine takes on human life.
In December 1846, the father of two young children died of starvation, as their mother had done before them. Villagers came to know of his death only when the two youngsters came toddling into the village. They were crying of hunger and said their father would not speak to them.
The great Bengal famine of 1943 is an example of a famine that was caused by both natural and historical events.
With World War II came a general food shortage. Imports of rice from Burma, which had been occupied by the Japanese, also stopped. A cyclone which struck aggravated matters. It destroyed much farmland. This resulted in famine.
Famine is usually caused by crop failure which results from drought, too much rainfall and flooding or plant diseases and pests.
Famine can also be caused by natural disasters such as earthquakes, early frosts and tidal waves which may affect large areas and destroy enough crops to result in famine.
Famine may also result through human action. For example, if war breaks out farmers may leave their fields and livestock in order to take up arms.
Lack of efficient transport may also cause famine. For example, a difficulty with efficient shipping for taking food where it is needed is a possible cause.
An example is that which occurred in the northern Indian state of what is now known as Uttar Pradesh. In 1837 and 1838, about 800 000 people died of starvation. Lack of transportation prevented shipments of grain from other areas of India from reaching Uttar Pradesh. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a lack of rain caused widespread famine in the Sahel, a region of Africa.
While famine may be an age-old occurrence, it is with us in contemporary times as well, and right on our doorstep.
We read that the war in Yemen brings famine ever closer to the people living there. Cruise missiles, floating mines and remote-controlled boats have been used in the two-year war. This has impacted severely and negatively on the delivery of food to Yemen, and on available food reserves.
Earlier this year, as many as 7 million people in Yemen were acutely malnourished or did not know how they would get their next meal. At the time, about 80% of the people affected were in the north of the country and conditions were worsening. Only 3 million to 4 million of the affected 7 million could be reached, and then only the most basic supplies could be sent every second month.
Somalia is another African country facing famine. It has been struck by a severe drought, and about half the population needs some form of humanitarian assistance.
The UN reports that nearly 950 000 children under the age of 5 will be acutely malnourished this year, and 185 000 of them are at risk of death without immediate medical attention. Famine may also result in diseases such as cholera.
In March, the UN announced that 20 million people in four countries were on the edge of starvation. This is shocking news and brings home the seriousness of the humanitarian crisis facing the world today.
Towards the end of April, the Ethiopian government said that 7.7 million people needed emergency food aid. This figure is significantly up from that of the 5.6 million that was formerly projected. It was expected the figure could increase since south-east Ethiopia was expected to face another drought.
South Sudan is another state that faces food shortages and famine. The World Bank has voted $50 million to provide direct food assistance to prevent starvation and hunger-related deaths. There are about 4.9 million food-insecure people in the country who face starvation.
Food-insecurity is the result of conflict and drought. At least some of these persons will benefit from this aid.
In Somalia, rebel forces are preventing aid from reaching villagers. The rebels are opposed to the intervention of international aid groups and accuse them of colluding with the Somali government, to which they are opposed.
In recent times, about 160 000 people walked, sometimes for days, to camps in government-controlled cities, in search of food.
Last month, Antonio Gueterres, Secretary-General of the UN, made available shocking figures concerning malnutrition and famine.
He warned that a Yemeni child dies every 10 minutes of preventable causes such as conflict, hunger and disease. And in Somalia 275 000 children are facing severe malnutrition. Furthermore, in South Sudan 2 800 people per day are fleeing the country to avoid becoming victims of worsening violence and looming famine.
Regarding the situation in Ethiopia, a government minister said in June that 7.8 million people needed food assistance. The food shortage is the result of a prolonged drought that was worsened by El Niño weather conditions.
It seems as if the Ethiopian government was pro-active regarding the situation. Communications Minister Negeri Lencho said the government had set aside $50m for drought relief. He said the government is providing water and food to people, running school feeding programmes, and providing animal feed to livestock.
Of course, there are other international crises that require substantial aid, in one form or another. This impacts on the measure of aid any one country in dire need, and in this case Ethiopia, receives.
While famine appears not to affect South Africa, we do know there are many children and adults who are hungry day in and day out, not due to neglectful behaviour on their own part, but because of a variety of economic and social factors. Those of us who have food every day must be cautious not to be wasteful simply because we have it. We must share what we have and care for those who have not.