The warlords in the African countries are not interested in bringing their battles to an end even if millions simply die in the famine. Moreover, the global response to address such a calamity-like situation is inadequate. Hope sense and sensibility prevails at least for the sake of saving innocent civilians
Once again famine is back to Africa. But this time extremely horrifying indicators are emerging from three countries — South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria. And, warring Yemen too is fast falling into the trap. South Sudan, being the youngest nation of the world, is almost facing an existential crisis due to internal rivalry between its first President Salva Kiir and his estranged deputy Riek Machar since the very foundation of the country. Initially, it all started as a low intensity fight between the forces loyal to both the leaders, but down the line it has turned out to be a full-fledged ethnic war between the Dinka and the Nuer, the two largest ethnic groups represented by Kiir and Machar respectively. This has drawn the country to such an extent that the UN has declared it to be in a “state of famine”. Observers say that it is the first time since 2011 that the term has been used and only the second since the UN adopted the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) scale, which rightly highlights a scientific way of determining levels of food insecurity. According to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS Net), an agency run by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in South Sudan “conflict has severely disrupted trade, humanitarian access and livelihoods. Very poor macro-economic conditions constrain household market accesses”. Currently, the FEWS Net observes that “famine IPC Phase 5 was likely occurring in leer (one of the counties of South Sudan), possibly occurring in Koch and that humanitarian assistance is preventing famine (IPC phase 5) in Mayendit”. Further, the UN stresses that across South Sudan as a whole, nearly 2,50,000 children under the age of five suffer from “severe acute” malnutrition, meaning that if they do not receive treatment, probably they will die. What is alarming for the international community is that this year almost 5.8 million people of the country will purely depend on food aid. And imagine if the aid does not reach in time and to the needy, what will happen to those who are already trapped in between the ethnic war and are languishing in ill-managed refugee camps.
Somalia had witnessed an officially declared famine in 2011 and it was the last country to experience such a disaster. However, this time Somalians are driven to famine not by a man made chaos, but because of extreme weather conditions in large parts of the country. What seems troubling for Somalia is that from October to December, 2016, the Deyr season performed poorly across the country, with major areas receiving less than 40 per cent of the expected rainfall. This failed season follows below average April-to-June rainfall which resulted in poor pasture conditions and Gu season harvests in the south of the country. What worries many in Somalia is that there is highly likely that this year also the Gu season may fail. Besides, the scarcity of safe drinking water has already led to an outbreak of AWD/cholera. As per the World Health Organization reports, there have been 10,571 cases and 269 deaths since January 2017. An acute drought is afflicting much of the country and it demands immediate aid from the donors. Experts say that this famine would be easier to handle than the one that took place in 2011 when the dreaded al-Shabab Islamists brought the chaos.
When it comes to Nigeria, a famine may have already taken place late last year. Due to lack of accurate data, no one knows the exact level of shortage of food and other essential commodities particularly in the Boko Haram infested areas of the North-East. This group which has pledged allegiance to the ISIS has almost created havoc in some States such as Borno in Nigeria. But as the Nigerian Army started regaining control of the major parts of the North-East, Borno State has witnessed millions of displaced hungry civilians pouring into the makeshift camps. Sources say that large parts of the North-East that remain inaccessible for humanitarian actors continue to face high risk of IPC Phase 5. Part of the reason is that the Government Army is blocking aid to the rebel-held areas and it is also a huge risk for the aid workers to deliver in the strongholds of the Boko Haram.
For Yemen, though political dynamics are entirely different, but nearly two million people are facing an emergency situation. Sadly, another 5-8 millions do not have enough to eat as per the reports of the FEWS Net. The main reason is that the coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia, which is fighting the Houthi rebels in the North-West of the country, does hardly allow food through its maritime blockade without a lengthy permit process. By the time the permission comes, most of the food is spoiled.
For the current mess in these four nations, the respective Governments need to be blamed. Despite constant support from the UN agencies, international human rights groups and civil society organisations, the local Governments are showing very little interest in bringing an end to the crisis. Unfortunately what has been shocking is that at times the Governments and rebel leaders that are supposedly fighting to save their people are only blocking the aid and other humanitarian services to reach the same. In South Sudan and Yemen, famines are clearly avoidable, but in Nigerian, it is too difficult to tackle it. And for Somalia, it all depends on nature.
It is highly likely that more talks and negotiations followed by deadlines may come and go. But for sure, nothing substantial would be accomplished as the warlords are not interested in bringing their battles to an end even if millions simply die. On the other hand, the global response to address such a calamity like situation is inadequate. Hope sense and sensibility prevails at least for the sake of saving innocent civilians!
(The writer is an expert on international affairs)