The dire food insecurity situation in much of Eastern Africa has rapidly reached humanitarian crisis proportions, and an immediate response is urgently required.
An estimated 11 million people or more are facing critical food shortages in East Africa and the Horn of Africa; but there is a wider regional dimension to the issue of food where, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 27 sub-Saharan countries now need food assistance.
What recently appeared, at first, to be isolated emergencies brought about by drought or conflict are commonly considered indicative of chronic or systemic problems. African agriculture appears to be in crisis, and the compounding effect of years of wars, uprising or coups, and civil strife are responsible for causing more hunger than the range of natural problems alon
Critical issues are
- chronic underinvestment in rural areas, linked to issues of governance.
- conflict situations, leading to population displacement and instability.
- the impact of HIV/AIDS on human capital.
- population growth, and competition for scarce productive land in some areas, together with a general problem of soil fertility.
A continent that was more than self-sufficient in food at independence 50 years ago is now a massive food importer. The following country-specific data captures the scope of the problem, and the main contributing factors:
Kenya:
- Estimated population: 34.2 million.
- Projected number needing food aid: 3.5 million.
- Key underlying reasons: persistent widespread drought; late rains; conflict in northeast, food distribution constraints.
Somalia:
- Estimated population: 9.1 million.
- Projected number needing food aid: 1.7 million. Note: reports indicate that half of all herds have died: livestock accounts for 65% of export earnings
- Key underlying reasons: drought and insecurity.
Ethiopia:
- Estimated population: 77.4 million.
- Projected number needing food aid: 2.6 million.
- Key underlying reasons: drought; floods; high food prices; population growth.
Djibouti:
- Estimated population: 790,000.
- Projected number needing food aid: 150,000.
- Key underlying reasons: drought.
Sudan:
- Estimated population: 36.2 million.
- Projected number needing food aid: 6.1 million.
- Key underlying reasons: Conflict in western Darfur region has displaced 2 million people; south recovering from long-running civil war; drought in parts of the country.
Burundi:
- Estimated population: 7.5 million.
- Projected number needing food aid: 1 million.
- Key underlying reasons: HIV prevalence: 6% of adults (UNAids 2003); conflict; population displacement; high food prices; deforestation.
Uganda:
- Estimated population: 28.8 million.
- Projected number needing food aid: 2.7 million.
- Key underlying reasons: conflict in the north; displacement.
Tanzania:
- Estimated population: 38.4 million.
- Projected number needing food aid: 600,000.
- Key underlying reasons: drought in parts of the country; HIV/AIDS: about 7% of the national mainland population infected with HIV; infection rates rise to 15% in some areas.
Rwanda:
- Estimated population: 8 million.
- Projected number needing food aid: 1 million.
- HIV prevalence: 5.1% of adults (UNAids 2003).
- Key underlying reasons: drought and late rains; population density leading to a shortage of land.