by Lee Ann Doskocil

Created on: April 16, 2008

There is perhaps no greater tragedy in the world today than the fact that there are millions of starving people in the world. What is even more startling is that according to the Red Cross, over thirty million people in Africa alone are starving. Why, you may ask, is starvation so rampant in Africa? The answer is complex as there are many unique reasons this crisis is so heavily concentrated in Africa.

Government interference and policies are one of the primary reasons that so many Africans are starving. In many cases, governments have taken control of agriculture and they either do not have the knowledge of they allow greed to take hold and they actually create policies that harm African farmers. They have, in some cases, raised tariffs, created trade barriers, reduced the yield of the land and all of these factors have negatively impacted the ability of African farmers to feed the citizens. Trade within Africa does not occur in many cases even when a famine could easily be solved by merely shipping food within Africa. When foreign governments or the United Nations and other relief organizations attempt to ship humanitarian aid to Africa, often that aid is either taken by rogue governments or it is misused or resold by the government which then keeps the profit.

African farmers also do not have access to the equipment and technology that would enable them to grow crops. In some cases, there is a lack of seed and pesticides. These pesticides might not only increase the yield of the crops, but it could also make the labor of the farmers much easier. When these items are available, they are priced so high and taxed so that most farmers in Africa cannot afford them. The majority of African farmers have to chop weeds using a hoe or even their hands which severely limits the yield not to mention the fact that it keeps farmers from being able to complete other important tasks related to growing food.

Finally, the poor health of the majority of Africans plays a large role in keeping the inhabitants hungry. Due to the fact that there are many Africans who suffer from deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria among others, there is a decreasing labor force available to grow crops. Add to this the lack of education on the part of many Africans and it is easy to see why there is a never ending cycle of poverty and hunger.

Until these problems are attacked and solved, it remains a sad fact that many Africans including many children will go to bed hungry. For those who battling serious illnesses other than starvation, it is quite possible that they will not wake to see another day.

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