WORLD HUNGER - AFRICA

Citizenship Badge – Stage 2

INTRODUCTION TO HUNGER IN AFRICA

Reducing persistent hunger and poverty in Africa is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century.

According to IFPRI, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to three-quarters of the world’s extremely poor people – those living on less than 50 cents per day – and trails behind all other regions of the world in progress toward alleviating hunger and malnutrition.

INTRODUCTION TO HUNGER IN AFRICA

Because the majority of Africa’s poor live in rural areas and are dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods, the most important strategy for achieving sustainable, poverty-reducing growth is an emphasis on agricultural development.

Yet despite evidence about agriculture’s important contribution to broad-based economic growth, US bilateral assistance to African agriculture fell by two-thirds in the 1990s, aid from other industrial countries fell by half, and World Bank funding plummeted by three-fourths.

HISTORY OF HUNGER IN AFRICA The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is warning that

27 sub-Saharan countries is in need of assistance. But what appear as isolated disasters brought about by drought or

conflict in countries like Somalia, Malawi, Niger, Kenya and Zimbabwe are - in reality - systemic problems.

It is African agriculture itself that is in crisis, and according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, this has left 200 million people malnourished.

HISTORY OF HUNGER IN AFRICA

It is particularly striking that the FAO highlights political problems such as civil strife, refugee movements and returnees in 15 of the 27 countries it declares in need of urgent assistance. By comparison drought is only cited in 12 out of 27 countries.

The implication is clear - Africa's years of wars, coups and civil strife are responsible for more hunger than the natural problems that befall it.

CRITICAL ISSUES ON HUNGER IN AFRICA

Decades of underinvestment in rural areas, which have little political clout. Africa's elites respond to political pressure, which is mainly

exercised in towns and cities. This is compounded by corruption and mismanagement - what donors call a lack of sound governance.

"Problems such as corruption, collusion and nepotism can significantly inhibit the capacity of governments to promote development efforts."

CRITICAL ISSUES ON HUNGER IN AFRICA

Wars and political conflict, leading to refugees and instability. In 2004 the chairman of the African Union Commission, Alpha

Oumar Konare, reminded an AU summit that the continent had suffered from 186 coups and 26 major wars in the past 50 years. It is estimated that there are more than 16 million refugees and displaced persons in Africa.

Farmers need stability and certainty before they can succeed in producing the food their families and societies need.

CRITICAL ISSUES ON HUNGER IN AFRICA

HIV/Aids depriving families of their most productive labour. This is particularly a problem in southern Africa, where over

30% of sexually active adults are HIV positive. According to aid agency Oxfam, when a family member

becomes infected, food production can fall by up to 60%, as women are not only expected to be carers, but also provide much of the agricultural labour.

virus

CREDITS AND CITATIONSCitation for the pictures used: http://exkktm304.blogspot.sg/ http://www.partnership-africa.org/challenge-africa http://www.pedaltofeed.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=59 http://nue.okstate.edu/World_Food.htm http://blogs.bgsu.edu/ckachur/2012/02/05/how-mobile-phones-can-end-international-hunger/africa-hunger/ http://meetingthegoals2015.tripod.com/id1.html http://peacetimes.net/2010/06/severe-drought-in-west-africa/ http://www.sirdoon.com/index.php?blogid=1&archive=2007-12 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4802458.stm http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=kill-the-virus-stop-the-cancer http://www.nowpublic.com/tech-biz/food-crisis-horn-africa http://www.south-africa-tours-and-travel.com/south-africa-government.html

Credits for the information gathered: http://www.partnership-africa.org/challenge-africa http://erlc.com/article/world-hunger-africa/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4662232.stm

Team Members:

1. Simon John Remuel Soriano

2. Chen Wei Qin Darren

3. Sher Zi Hao

4. Thum Jun Long Isaac