Famine in Somalia: It's Not a Natural Disaster: It's Murder

Submitted by Muthamizh Vendhan Salem-News.com

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words… the Famine in Somalia: “Billions For Bombs… Peanuts for Bread”… That’s what the Right Wing wants…

(CHENNAI, India) - THE FAMINE in Somalia has once again focussed attention on the problems of the less developed countries. Much of the response to the crisis is a short term one in the form of food aid.

However in order to understand the causes of this and other famines in Africa it is necessary to race back the roots of the problem to colonisation and imperialism.

It is necessary to focus on the political economic and social policies pursued in post-colonial times which perpetuate recurring famine and crisis. The role of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are crucial in understanding what is really happening.

The famine in Somalia could kill 750,000 in the coming months, and tens of thousands have already died. When you meet at the Group of 20 (G20) Summit in November, you have the opportunity to break the cycle of famine and ensure people are hungry no more. Lives are in your hands.

Please keep the promises you have made to the 2 billion poor people who depend on farming for their livelihoods. Drought may be an act of nature, but famine is not. The current crisis in the Horn of Africa is a man-made disaster that could have been avoided. But we don't have the necessary political will to stop the starving – and its causes. As a consequence, millions are affected and tens of thousands of children have died.

Communities in Africa can cope with droughts and natural disasters. But we need leaders to invest in early warning systems and safety net programmes to help people become resilient to these hazards. And we need donors to put resources toward better seeds, irrigation and sustainable farming education. By acting now, we can help 200 million people from poor farming families grow more food and raise their incomes.

Leaders of the wealthiest countries met in 2009, and committed to provide $22 billion for agriculture and hunger. They will meet again in early November. Please call on them to keep their promises to ensure people are hungry no more.