HUNGER FOSTERING TERRORISM, SAYS WFP DIRECTOR
▶ The World Food Programme says climate change is affecting crops, livestock and livelihoods in East Africa, writes Mustafa Alrawi
If collective efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change on food supply in the Horn of Africa are not scaled up quickly and significantly, tens of millions of people will continue to face starvation.
The UN says climate stress from poor rainfall has made the region hotter and drier, affecting crops, livestock and livelihoods, resulting in increased levels of malnutrition and food insecurity.
“There is a rise in the understanding that climate change is a factor in life and it needs to be dealt with,” Erika Joergensen, the UN World Food Programme’s Regional Director for East Africa said in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
East Africa, spanning countries including Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Uganda, is home to about 13.7 million people who face a food crisis after eight years of drought.
It is Ms Joergensen’s second year there now and she said there were many challenges in the region.
“You have climate change, you have conflict, you have migration, you have all these things.
“But the dynamics of it, the people’s ability to invent and [their] determination to survive and to invest what little they have in a productive manner has really struck me,” she said.
The WFP’s efforts to address hunger put its food organisation at the centre of trade, security, transport, climate and health, giving the body a unique vantage point.
“Poor people are not given many choices and they don’t have many alternatives in their lives,” Ms Joergensen said. “So, whatever they are given, they will make the best of it. They are not asking for a lot but when they get something, they want to take it and make the best of it.
“But they need the support of their politicians,” she said.
“They need the support of good governance and of social safety nets that can help raise them and get them out of these fragile situations they are in. Climate change is certainly not helping.”
But tackling food security is far more complex than just learning to live with floods and droughts. It includes issues “from soil to plate”, Ms Joergensen said.
These issues include the diversification of the types of crops grown to the business of the global food supply system.
In Ethiopia and Kenya, the WFP’s ability to take a step back and let governments take the lead – a measure of success – was driven by “governance and a determination among the decision makers to prioritise food security and the well-being of their citizens”, Ms Joergensen said.
Politics are always a factor. Elections in Somalia, Burundi and Ethiopia next year can change the dynamics, Ms Joergensen said.
“That’s one thing; the other thing is that climate change has come to stay. If we don’t actively do something about it and really scale up our interventions then we are in trouble; people are in trouble.
“That takes commitment from our donors, including GCC countries.”
Even with the WFP’s funding at a record $7.2 billion (Dh26.44bn) last year – the US being the largest contributor at about $2.5bn and the UAE in sixth place with $226 million – there continues to be a significant shortfall, about $270m for the Horn of Africa region alone.
Ms Joergensen said there was a realisation that hunger was destabilising societies.
“We don’t want to have an unstable Horn of Africa which is haunted by conflict, destabilisation, migration and displacement. Nobody wants that,” she said.
Groups such as the extremist rebels of Al Shabab, are also a factor.
“If you have hunger, you foster terrorism. Hungry people will do anything to feed their families. Even if that means signing up with a non-state actor,” Ms Joergensen said. “Most people want stability and peace. They want to get on with their lives.”
The WFP wants to build resilience and stability, which requires the programme to work with its partners, like the UAE, beyond funding.
“Emergencies are, of course, different. If you have a largescale emergency – a tsunami or earthquake, a war – that’s different; that’s [about] saving lives.
“But if you have a slow onset or a destabilised structure then creating smart farming solutions, creating livelihoods, giving food, cash possibilities, stabilising the markets, keeping the shops open – even in a drought – that is what helps.”
The WFP buys food locally from farmers as well as working with retailers.
“We raised and spent $1.4bn last year in my region; that’s a lot of money.
“For the smallholders, if we can create predictability for them ... they know they have a buyer. They can plan and they can invest.
“We force them to grow quality grains because we don’t buy bad grains. They have to reach a certain standard and that forces [farmers] to produce quality grains. It is a winwin situation,” Ms Joergensen said.
Data is becoming more important for the WFP and the organisation is collecting it in the countries in which it operates.
“It helps us understand vulnerabilities. Let’s say in Somalia – we need to understand where the vulnerable people are living and where are those geographical areas that are particularly vulnerable. That helps us design a more targeted response.”
Other technology being used includes the biometric registration of beneficiaries, Ms Joergensen said.
“In South Sudan, by the end of this year we will have registered three million people. So, they are in our system with their biometrics and that means the targeting is already done. We know where these people are, we know who they are and we know if they are eligible for the assistance we can give them.”
Ms Joergensen spoke to The National after a round-table discussion the WFP organised in Abu Dhabi to highlight the need for innovation to tackle the threat to food security posed by climate change.
The session brought together representatives of vital institutions in the sector, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, the European Union, the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture, International Humanitarian City and Dubai Cares.
We don’t want a Horn of Africa that is haunted by conflict, destabilisation, migration and displacement