TUESDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2017
UK
World hunger setback: famine hits South Sudan
The young African country of
South Sudan is suffering the
world’s first famine for six years.
Long-term trends suggest
hunger could one day be
eliminated — but is this wishful
thinking?
One hundred thousand people facing
starvation. A million on the brink of famine.
And 4.9m — over 40% of the country’s
population — in urgent need of food.
This is the stark reality in South Sudan,
where aid agencies declared a famine
yesterday. It is the first time that has
happened, anywhere in the world, for six years.
‘Our worst fears have been realised,’ says
Serge Tissot, a UN representative in the
country. ‘The people are predominantly
farmers and war has disrupted agriculture. For
months there has been a total reliance on
whatever plants they can find and fish they
can catch.’
South Sudan is in the midst of a brutal
three-year civil war, and UN investigators have
warned of a risk of genocide. All factions in the
fighting have been accused of using hunger as
a weapon of war. Food prices have risen and
the economy has collapsed.
Last week the UN said wars and drought
may cause further famines in Yemen, Somalia
Q&A
Q: I do not live in South Sudan. Is it worth me
knowing about this?
A: Around 11m people do live in South Sudan.
The UN says more than 40% of them urgently
need help. And the problem is more
widespread globally. Most importantly, that
Empty stomachs:
stomachs There are 794.6m hungry people in the world; 511.7m of them live in Asia.
and north-eastern Nigeria. The World Food
Programme said more than 20m people may
face starvation in the next six months.
‘We are facing a major crisis that we have
not seen before,’ warned Gareth Owen,
humanitarian director of Save the Children.
The long-term global trend is much more
positive. In 1992 UN estimates suggested
18.6% of the world’s population was
undernourished; last year the figure was
10.9%. Despite a rapid population expansion,
the number of people in hunger has declined
by over a fifth.
Aid donations are at a record high.
Humanitarian aid is being distributed at a
record rate, thanks to systemic improvements.
And in 2015 the UN committed to the target of
eradicating hunger and malnutrition by 2030.
But frustrations remain. Stephen O’Brien,
the UN’s humanitarian chief, says only half of
his requirements were met last year. Others
argue the system is too focused on responding
to ‘predictable’ crises. Obstruction from corrupt
means many of your fellow human beings are
suffering. But famine also means more than
that. Hunger is not just a result of problems
like poverty — it is also a cause. If people are
hungry, they cannot contribute to the global
economy that we all rely on.
Q: But what can I do about it?
A: You can study the work that charities are
THEDAY.CO.
governments, global inequality and climate
change are also commonly cited problems.
So will we ever see the back of world
hunger?
Hungry for solutions
One day, say optimists, hunger will go the way
of diseases like smallpox. Technological
progress will deal with practicalities, such as
creating the infrastructure needed to grow and
transport food. Globalisation will increase our
awareness of others’ suffering and encourage
greater sharing of resources and more open
governments.
Wishful thinking, pessimists respond. We
cannot eliminate hunger any more than war or
suffering; globalisation may even exacerbate it.
Human nature remains self-interested — and
attempts to re-engineer it to deal with major
problems often make things worse. No wonder
the situation in countries like South Sudan is
getting worse.
doing in regions hit by extreme hunger. If it
impresses you, perhaps you could donate to
them or volunteer to help. You can also lobby
politicians in your country to adopt policies
which you think would help address the
problem.
 YOU DECIDE
1. Are you an optimist or a pessimist?
2. Will world hunger ever be eradicated?
WORD WATCH
Famine – Famine is only declared when at
least 20% of households in an area face
extreme food shortages with a limited ability to
cope; acute malnutrition rates exceed 30%;
and the death rate is over two people per
10,000 per day. It places no obligations on
world bodies but helps to raise awareness of
the problem.
Weapon of war – For example by attacking aid
BECOME AN EXPERT Read this article on theday.co.uk for links to recommended videos and further reading.
Notes
ACTIVITIES
1. List five questions you would like to ask
someone working for an aid agency in South
Sudan. Compare in pairs and discuss your
choices as a class.
2. Find out more about an instance of famine
from history (including recent history) which
interests you. Write a one-page memo
explaining its causes and whether you think
something similar could happen again.
workers, obstructing food supplies and stifling
crop production.
Risen – Inflation in South Sudan is around
800% per year.
Before – Owen has 25 years’ experience of
working in the Horn of Africa. He worked during preventing such crises.
the Somali famine of 2010–12, when 260,000
people died.
Fifth – Just over a billion people were
undernourished between 1990 and 92,
SOME PEOPLE SAY...
‘There is no problem on Earth so big that
human beings cannot solve it.’
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
according to the UN.
Predictable – Sara Pantuliano, of the Overseas
Development Institute, said last week that 80%
of the situations humanitarians face are
‘protracted and predictable’, and the aid
system needs an overhaul to focus more on
Smallpox – An acute contagious disease,
which killed an estimated 300m people in the
20th century alone. It was declared eradicated
in 1980.