Famine
What would you do if you looked out your front window and saw the child next door – the child who was once a healthy, energetic 11-year-old – search the bushes for insects to feed his youngest sister?
What would you do if you knew that once a fortnight the boy walked his sister almost 10km to a health centre for help? Or if you knew, as the children became thinner and thinner, that their desperate father was about to leave them to search for work in the city?
What if the father was considering selling a seven-year-old into marriage because he could no longer afford to feed her, and needed the payment to feed the rest of his family?
Continue reading "When desperate men swap their daughters for goats" »
Millions of human lives are at risk. Again. Another famine looms in Africa, this time in the continent’s West. Countries of the Sahel region, including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Africa’s smallest nation, The Gambia, are in the midst of a developing food crisis.
Their people are beginning to die.
Sadly, it’s a tired tale. African famines have haunted our headlines for decades, and they’re still coming hard and fast. Just last year we saw thousands of lives lost in East Africa, and too few saved when the developed world and its aid agencies dashed in to save them from a famine that was already well-established.
Continue reading "Donor fatigue is more lethal than the harshest famine" »
Latest 2 of 122 comments
View all comments-
Paul M says:
“The last drought and it’s death toll was exacerbated by war lords and militia who prevented crops from being sown, watered, harvested or stored.” Yup. The famines are cause by politics, not climate. Dig a little, and you’ll find is basically one ethnic group wiping out another. The westerners don’t… Read more »
-
Scotty mac says:
See the latest GREENS Fiasco in Indonesia of planting trees. It now seems the tree planting scheme has turned out to be a complete waste of tax payers and investors money. One could call it a monumental waste. Yes, we are fools. Read more »
What happened
For at least the fourth time since the “Band Aid” famine of the 1980s , the beleaguered citizens of the Horn of Africa endured famine, as a result of ongoing drought, desertification and civil strife.
Refugee camps in northern Kenya swelled massively, the Dadaab camp bursting with half a million people. As the crisis unfolded, a British newspaper warned that if the West failed to act appropriately, it would be as complicit as the warlords exacerbating the situation in Africa.
What happened next
The West did indeed open its pockets. The UK government’s initial AID package was the equivalent of $60 million. By the first week of December, Australians had donated $12.7 million, and the government matched the donations under their dollar-for-dollar aid scheme. The crisis continues.
Continue reading "Biggest moments of 2011 #7 Africa goes hungry" »
Latest 2 of 47 comments
View all comments-
Bertrand says:
This brings me to the second main point you made, which is that my argument that, “Your arguments that these people deserve to die because they haven’t pushed hard enough for political and economic reform or because there are structural problems with the overall way aid is delivered in Africa… Read more »
-
Bertrand says:
St. Michael, You said, “No one is going to fix the “structural problems”—or the less politically correct concepts of widespread corruption, fraud, theft, and embezzlement in aid agencies and the nations they service—if they’ve had this long to figure it out and if multiple whistleblowers have been saying exactly the… Read more »
Neuroscientists have found that over 80 per cent of calories that newborns ingest fuel their brains. The colossal statistic accounts for how rapidly the young brain grows and develops.
It paints us a new picture of malnutrition. It tells us that babies caught up in the developing famine in East Africa will almost certainly suffer starvation-induced damage that will have long-term developmental effects on their minds.
Babies are arriving in field hospitals in Dadaab, Kenya, too weak to cry. Many weigh a third of what they should.
Continue reading "Won’t someone, please, think of the African children" »
Latest 2 of 78 comments
View all comments-
josh says:
So now you want people to be forced to live differently so someone in Africa who won’t stop having kids can be given the freedom to have more ? Karl Marx would be so proud. Read more »
-
Gen says:
We are starting to see the effects of overpopulation. The earth simply cannot sustain endless population growth and will correct this itself with droughts, famines and disease. I think there is little that can be done if population growth is not addressed. Send money and the cycle will continue. Read more »
Once again Africa is gripped by a catastrophic famine. As developed countries and NGOs scramble to mobilise aid, we are told incomprehensible numbers of people face a ghastly death by starvation, including hundreds of thousands of children.
It can make you despair. Sometimes we feel like turning away, we seem so powerless and the problems so entrenched and repetitive. Giving money can feel pointless; commercial TV news hardly mentions the crisis, guessing it will have viewers reaching for the remote control.
But there’s another story about Africa many Australians might find very surprising.
Latest 2 of 102 comments
View all comments-
http://www.360hatswholesale.com/ says:
It’s a nice post.we will come back again,if you like our site,we will link to you!828mvxin Read more »
-
http://www.myoffice2010.com/windows-vista-c-46.htm says:
Modification in sanitation services can be carried out according to what’s needed with the clients.9. office 2010 key State-of-the-art techniques and quality products result in excellent results.Professional office cleaning services offer a massive amount services, such as the following:1. Cleaning and polishing of furniture.2. HEPA Vacuuming and high suction.3.office 2010… Read more »
A lot of people, when they look at pictures on the television about the unfolding famine in Somalia, say “we’ve seen it all before. What’s different about this one? And why haven’t they fixed it up by now?”
I understand some of the cynicism but if you have been to this region as I have just been, you cannot be indifferent to what is happening there. This is the worst drought in the Horn of Africa in 60 years.
Famine has been declared in a significant slice of Somalia and by Christmas it is anticipated that the famine will extend to the southern half of the entire country.
Continue reading "A plea for Africa: Now is the time for global action" »
Latest 2 of 290 comments
View all comments-
brealsestible says:
buy levitra online - <a >order levitra</a> , http://cheaplevitraonlinerxhere.com/#7128 generic levitra Read more »
-
Roksaerorgo says:
fast payday loan - <a >fast payday loan</a> , http://paydayloanhereonline.com/#19448 payday loan online Read more »
A couple of weeks ago Ant Sharwood gave me a call and started talking about the Horn of Africa. He was pretty fired up, and talking about various types of excrement hitting various types of oscillating devices.
I was pretty distracted. There’d been a lot going on. That tax thing had just been announced, sharia law was in the news – you know, all the hot button stuff. Africa was not in the news. Well, it was, but back in the World section, the bit you don’t always manage to get to. That’s the hollow ring of self justification you can hear there, folks.
Anyhoo, Ant wrote this great piece. And he was right. The shit has really hit the fan, and it was a terrible surprise for many who probably should have seen it coming. Should have seen it coming for not just years, but decades.
Continue reading "Africa’s perfect storm is the world’s responsibility" »
Latest 2 of 277 comments
View all comments-
alan says:
Have any of you ever questioned why Africa is in poverty in the first place? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Africa was a very rich country to begin with, that was until western/european nations colonised and invaded Africa and stole everything that was of value… Read more »
-
Sarah says:
@Jack. You filthy, misogynistic bastard. Has it ever occurred to you that Africa’s overpopulation is a direct result of the millions of women who are raped repeatedly? Rape is everywhere in Africa, it is the most common crime perpetrated in that god fosaken land. It is used as a weapon… Read more »
It is 27 years since a bunch of do-gooding musicians, led by Bob Geldof, banded together to alert the world to a North African famine. We need more than a Band Aid solution this time.
Since the 1984 famine, the so-called “horn” of Africa – which includes Somalia, Ethiopia, the tiny nation of Djibouti and northern Kenya – has had several crippling droughts which have led to famines. The last really bad one was in 2006. But there were several between then and the Band Aid era.
And now, the curse of famine is descending upon the region again, due to a combination of the usual suspects of drought, desertification, crop failure and military conflicts. Early estimates suggest that 10 million people are at risk of starvation.
Continue reading "Band Aids not enough as Africa faces famine" »
Latest 2 of 125 comments
View all comments-
bileKindida says:
ugg sale van fmf emn ule ugg boots lsawkj rag ztu coach factory outlet yjtkwn ocr ihg Read more »
-
Not politically correct says:
Malthusian catastrophe was only delayed, not averted. Lets just hope population peaks soon enough before collective stupidity and shortsightedness of the human race doom us all into extinction. BTW I fail to see why reproduction while allowing a future billions to starve in poverty is an inalienable individual right. If… Read more »
What time is it in the world? When U2 launched the Australian leg of their 360 tour last week in Melbourne, this seemingly nonsensical question was repeated and alluded to throughout the show.
As the apparent motif of their tour, the question begs consideration.
Over the years U2 have consistently encouraged their fans to develop a political and social consciousness, in stark contrast to the spiritual vacuity promoted by most mainstream musicians.
Latest 2 of 44 comments
View all comments-
autoversicherung ausrechnen says:
Connect Result,iron show while account trend heat substantial significance understand warn system example right court lay commission rather city credit spot serious push attention husband observe influence affair football learn book damage part destroy obviously up necessary planning finance rich refuse century settle to turn push first exhibition sort right… Read more »
-
MF says:
The same people who whinge about U2 and suggest that their political stance is hyprocritical and inneffective are the same people who shit on John Lennon for starting an ‘advertising campaign for peace”. If a band can captivate 7 million people on a world tour, why not use that position… Read more »
Europe granted £1.8 million in emergency aid to Ethiopia today in 1984. One million people were believed to have died in the famine of that year and aid workers described the situation as “hell on earth”.
And it’s Monday so what’s on your mind? Share it here.
Latest 2 of 28 comments
View all comments-
acotrel says:
Jim, it’s easy to blame the moving of Australian industry offshore on union wage claims. However I’d point out that Henry Ford paid his orkers 5 times the going rate, so they could afford to buy his products. Reducing Australian wages to third world levels won’t make Australian industry more… Read more »
-
acotrel says:
Well Lee, it goes like this. If a Labour government wants a loan from the Arabs - that’s bad. If the Singaporeans want to own a bit more of us - that’s good. If the Chinese want to own a bit more of us - that’s bad. If the Americans… Read more »
Facebook Recommendations
Read all about it
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
RT @JoshuaWithers: Have you seen the Australian version of Breaking bad? He get's cancer and Medicare covers his costs and the series ends.
Hell, your name is Excel and Powerpoint.
Great fun yarn by @the_mattyoung and @DebKillalea. What the hell annoys you about the evening commute? http://t.co/Eyi82lHiBQ
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
The Punch is moving house
Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…
Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?
I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…
Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”
In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go
Tim says:
They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go
Kel says:
If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
Superman needs saving
Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more
Latest 2 of 113 comments
View all commentsAdd your comment