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The world 'dithered while thousands died in Africa'
Emine Sinmaz18 Jan 2012
Thousands of lives and millions of pounds were lost because of a "dangerous delay" in the response to the East Africa famine, a report claimed today.
A "culture of risk aversion" meant the world failed to take decisive action, causing a six-month setback in relief.
Oxfam and Save the Children, who wrote the review, said many governments and humanitarian organisations wanted proof of a humanitarian catastrophe before trying to prevent one and were too slow in spending money.
An emergency was forecast as early as August 2010 but the full-scale response was not launched until July last year, when malnutrition rates in parts of the region had gone "far beyond the emergency threshold".
Estimates suggest between 50,000 and 100,000 lives were lost between April and August. Barbara Stocking, chief executive of Oxfam, said: "We all bear responsibility for this dangerous delay. It's shocking that the poorest people are still bearing the brunt of a failure to respond swiftly and decisively."
Justin Forsyth, chief executive of Save the Children, said: "We can no longer allow this grotesque situation to continue, where the world knows an emergency is coming but ignores it until confronted with TV pictures of desperately malnourished children."
The Department for International Development said: "British taxpayers' generous support has helped hundreds of thousands in dire need in the Horn of Africa and longer term British assistance in Ethiopia and Kenya has meant that millions more were not caught up in this terrible tragedy."
Reader views (9)
This new report highlights the vital need to act quickly to early warnings of potential crises. Too often early warnings do not trigger a timely response; too often we have to wait until the peak of a crisis to see a scaling up in interventions; too often people are speaking about lessons learnt and the need to intervene earlier to mitigate the deterioration of a situation but do not act; too often it is mentioned that spending money in preventative programmes is more cost-effective than waiting for full-scale emergency responses, however funds are still mostly allocated only when crises are at their peak.
The important lessons learnt from East Africa must be applied to the Sahel region which is experiencing a looming food crisis and especially to the most affected areas in Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, northern Nigeria and Niger. There is absolutely no excuse for not acting now to prevent millions of people falling into desperate food insecurity. The alarm on the Sahel was first raised in October and aid agencies, including Action Against Hunger, who have been present in the region since 1982, are scaling up existing programmes to offset an emergency. However, much more needs to be done and funding needs to be mobilised. The international community cannot afford, yet again, to wait for the faces of starving children to fill the TV screens before they respond. They must act now. Beyond the words there needs to be action.
Jean Michel Grand,
Executive Director at
- Jean Michel Grand, London, UK, 20/01/2012 11:01
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Such a sad case, whilst i feel totally empathy for the millions of innocents starving in Africa, the comments below are largely supported. We are ploughing millions into this continent and the majority of it goes to make rich people richer. Until this is addressed, we should be careful what we contribute. They also need to stop reproducing at such an alarming rate. Come to think of it, so do the benefit scroungers over here !
- Enoch, London, 20/01/2012 10:42
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Africa is an Enigma. I believe that it doesnt matter how much money the world donates, it is like sand running through your fingers. It only goes to the corrupt people in control, who rule by stealth, and fear. Personally I believe we should be doing more for our own poor. Until the countries of Africa start to moderate their populations, and reduce the birth rate, this scenario of famine will continue into the distant future.
- Bazza, Basildon. Formerly England, 19/01/2012 11:44
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I am African but i totally agree with all the comments, with the type of leaders Africa have aid money can never reach the masses. It will always end up in the streets of UK,US and in Swiss banks. Africa's problem is corruption and looting among the ruling class, as long as that continues and the Western government allows them to come in invest stolen wealth in their country then this poverty will continue and will produce more lunatics who a willing to kill over peanuts.
- john, london, 19/01/2012 01:03
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I was in the Sudan in 1959; it was in a mess then and 53 years later, like other places in Africa, its in the same mess.
With the amount of cash and aid that has gone into Africa, year in, year out I'm surprised their pavements, cables and water pipes aren't made of solid gold.
It's high time we stopped wasting cash on 'Africa' and spent it on our own pensioners who starve to heat themselves, or die cold.
If you don't like that Geldof then you pay out for them, as a pensioner I can't.
- Paul, London UK, 18/01/2012 21:37
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Hello! Shouldn't we be providing decent housing, schools, healthcare and social structure for the UK citizens instead of frittering our money away to 3rd world dictatorships? These countries are not poor - you only have to look at their London Embassies to confirm that. So, just where is the aid and charity money going? I haven't donated any money to African/Asian/South American 'begging bowl' charities because I know my cash is likely to end up in the wrong pockets, as taxpayer-funded 'overseas aid' does. I believe that we should look after ourselves first, and when these 'poor' countries can substantiate where any financial assistance will go, only then should we consider helping. Of course, helping out in times of natural disasters is humanity and will always be justified, but throwing money into a bottomless begging bowl will achieve nothing.
- Gatedweller, The People's Republic of Newham, 18/01/2012 18:13
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Palatial palace, massive airplanes for the elite,yea lets send them more!
If they gave as much money back that we have given, then we would not be in debt!
Look after our own has not worked here, and nothing has worked there!
- Ed, London, 18/01/2012 18:04
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It really isn't anything much to do with us. Unsustainable population is simply tragic. Malthus Rules OK.
- Steve, London, England, 18/01/2012 17:38
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I think rather than proof of a humanitarian collapse the world though "Not again" and then looked away.
For years, hundreds maybe, Africa has been sitting with its begging bowl in its hand and waiting for the world to help.
Bob Geldof and Live Aid were supposed to have ended African famine and ushered in a new era of responsible and open Government. All credit to Bob for raising the money he did but it hasn't really made any difference.
The worse thing we can do is give money as aid to Africa. The second worse thing we can do is to sell these dictatorships weapons. Congo, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe are all failed states. Nigeria & Kenya are likely to follow suit. Even South Africa could end up like Zimbabwe.
While aid may save a child from immediate death, he/she becomes another mouth to feed. Another reproducer. And so the cycle repeats itself.
The world may have 'dithered while thousands died in Africa'. Africa has been dithering for years.
- Adam, The Socialist Dictatorship, once known as Britain., 18/01/2012 17:18
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