May 8, 2008

 

Millions of Africans Affected by the Global Food Prices Upsurge

 

Due to the global food prices upsurge, millions of Africans across the continent face hunger, starvation, and even death with, the Horn of Africa hardest- hit by this. Not less than 14 million people, most of them women and children in these areas and some parts of Southern African countries such as Zambia, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, bear the brunt of this scourge despite Africa’s vast arable land, bringing the total affected population in the last five years to more than 30 million, with agricultural and livestock affected too. This was cited in a report presented today to the Pan African Parliament (PAP) by the Acting Chairperson of the PAP Permanent Committee on Agriculture, Rural Economy, Natural Resources and Environment, Hon. Athumani Janguo, during the Ninth Ordinary Session of PAP in Midrand today.

 

During his presentation Hon. Janguo urged Members of PAP to encourage their countries tackle this situation, as this problem does not just exacerbate malnutrition and the HIV/Aids pandemic, it also contributes to the escalating crime and violence witnessed across Africa.

 

Additionally, He cited inappropriate government agricultural policies, poverty, outdated farming methods, climate change, vermin invasions, land exhaustion, overgrazing and poor infrastructure as major contributing factors to Africa’s woes. Hon. Janguo said, 50 percent of Africa’s food crises can be attributed to internal and cross-border conflicts with the consequence of displacing millions of people. Appealing to the Pan African Parliament as the voice of the voiceless in the continent to persuade Heads of State, Governments, AU, RECs, NGO’s and the international community to join hands in finding lasting solutions to the root causes of the food crises on this continent.

 

On his part, Mr. Modibo Traore, the Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) who addressed the Session, assured African governments of FAO’s continued support regardless the condition facing the country. He pointed out that the FAO cannot oversee the affairs of governments, but can only recommend policies to them and support their work on agriculture.

 

On the issue of the FAO’s urgent support to agriculture in Africa, Mr. Traore disclosed that US$ 17 million have been allocated as emergency package for food and agricultural support for twenty countries in Africa.