17 June 2008
editorial
Nairobi — The release of the Africa Progress Panel report on Monday, June 16, 2008, came at a most opportune moment. It gives a damning assessment of how the world has been paying lip-service to helping the poorest nations, most of which are in Africa.
Then there is the Food and Agriculture Organisation's 25th Regional Conference for African ministers which is going on in Nairobi. Although it may be a coincidence that the two events are happening at the same time, they certainly are related, for they have everything to do with the global food crisis.
Chaired by Dr Kofi Annan, the Panel was set up to lobby the world's richest nations to seek ways to alleviate the gnawing poverty in Africa. More importantly, it is supposed to monitor the level of compliance on the pledges made by the Group of Eight to help Africa.
During the G8 meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland, in 2005, the rich countries agreed to double aid by 2010, and waive debts to the most highly indebted nations.
But if they have not exactly reneged on the first pledge, they have not been very enthusiastic either. The result, according to the report, is that there is a $40 billion shortfall, and the studious silence among the donor countries is a matter of grave concern.
Now, what gives the matter greater urgency is that the same poor countries are the most vulnerable to soaring food prices. Unless this situation changes, there will be a huge increase in hunger, malnutrition, as well as infant and child mortality in Africa.
Which is where the G8 countries come in. If they can release the funds in aid promised three years ago, most African countries will be able to feed their most vulnerable populations.
That, of course, is a tall order. The rich countries are also going through tough times with rising fuel and food prices, and their governments will be more interested in looking after their own people.
So what is the way forward? The world does need to change its sense of priorities and seek innovative ways of raising the needed funds.
By the time the G8 meet again in Hokkaido. Japan, next month, it should be ready with some answers on the issue, because, as things stand today, the situation can only get a lot worse. Sitting back and wringing hands in horror as millions die of hunger is clearly not an option.
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