Full Blown Humanitarian Crisis in Niger (Armstrong Williams Gets it Wrong)

Town Hall.com ^ | August 8, 2005 | Armstrong Williams

[End Times Sentinel]

Full Blown Humanitarian Crisis in Niger
Armstrong Williams

August 8, 2005

Niger is facing a holocaust. Famine has ravaged the nation. Inflation is vertical and shows no signs of slowing down. Nearly a million children are facing starvation, after severe drought and locust swarms wiped out much of Niger's vegetation and livestock last year. Already the second poorest nation in the world, where one in four children under the age of 5 dies each year of hunger, the death toll now threatens to exceed any war or famine in the modern era, if only because no end appears in sight.

Each day hundreds of mothers flock into the feeding stations set up by the U.N.

They carry with them emaciated children. Meanwhile, nearby markets are stocked with food reserves, but are selling at prices so high that many of the people cannot afford it. Nearly a third of the nation’s twelve million inhabitants face starvation.

The reaction of the Nigerian government to this state of affairs has been irrational and inconsistent. They show no signs of truly acknowledging the extent of this disaster. The problem will likely worsen in the coming months, as the rain season threatens to boost the spread of infectious diseases like malaria and pneumonia.

The U.N. food agency is seeking $4 million in emergency food aid. Even so, they have failed to truly come to grips with the problem. Despite the ballooning toll in human life and suffering in Niger, calls for emergency assistance have been largely ignored over the past year. It was not until the media began disseminating images of Niger’s starving children—nearly a million of them facing death—that public sentiment began to mobilize and governments began to respond. Now food and donations are pouring in. But lives could have been saved if action was taken sooner.

The problem is that the world is often slow to mobilize large scale food relief. Rather than responding to crisis, we need to set up emergency response mechanisms designed to avert disaster. In the short term, that means providing Niger’s farmer’s with seeds and livestock to help them get through the next farming season. Over the long term, it means setting up a standby fund that will better enable the U.N. to pursue early opportunities to provide humanitarian relief.

It also means taking critical steps to address the underlying economics of global poverty. The fact is, much of Africa is kept in a state of permanent subsidence by the richest countries. The EU and America flood third world markets with low priced commodities designed to depress world prices and effectively crush local economies. The willing overproduction and agricultural support polices of high-income countries keep third world farmers poor. The irony is that our taxpayers then have to turn around and underwrite aid packages.

So while the UN food agency appeals for more money, what we really have to do is ask, are we ready to confront the economic realities that undergird this level of poverty? Are we willing not just to provide aid, but to change our trade policies? The people of Africa are looking to us for a better life. I pray we do not let them down.

[End Times Sentinel]

The fact is, much of Africa is kept in a state of permanent subsidence by the richest countries. The EU and America flood third world markets with low priced commodities designed to depress world prices and effectively crush local economies.

 

Yeah, that's what it is.  It's America flooding the Niamey street markets with our low-priced cow peas, millet and casava.  It couldn't possibly have anything to do with the total lack of stability in the country, with it's frequent coups and tribal wars. 

 

If we'd just quit depressing their prices, then the vaunted Nigerien automotive industry could then flourish. 

 

This is clearly everybody's fault but their own.

Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[beandog]

Okay, then lets just sending them food and other help nad see what happens.

[beandog]

I meant to say "stop" sending them food.... To early in the morning I guess.

[Mr. K]

I know a guy named Barrister James Ontooga who has $25 million he wants to smuggle out of the country and share with me- maybe they can go after his money to help feed some of them

[jrd]

Don't you thing we need some dufis from the State Dept to tell us we need to give several million to the local head man to be put into his Swiss account...then every thing will be OK!

[End Times Sentinel]

I know a guy named Barrister James Ontooga who has $25 million he wants to smuggle out of the country and share with me

 

You're a lucky man.  We all know NIGERIAN contacts are a scam, but I see no reason not to believe a fella from Niger.  They seem on the up and up.

Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[clee1]

They need to look to themselves for a beter life!

America is here for Americans: it is not our job to save the world.

If the peoples of Africa would adopt/encourage a more scientifically-aware society and would rise up against the thousands of "tribal chieftans", dictators, and "strongmen", they would have a better life.

You can feed a man for a day by giving him a fish; you can feed him for a lifetime by teaching him how to fish.

[Mr. K]

Niger... Nigeria... they're the same thing arent they?

:D

[HKaddict]

You can feed a man for a day by giving him a fish; you can feed him for a lifetime by teaching him how to fish.

If you build a man a fire he will be warm for a night. If you set him on fire he will be warm for the rest of his life.

[End Times Sentinel]

Niger... Nigeria... they're the same thing arent they?

 

Along those lines, you know what's more fun than a barrel of monkeys?  Go up to a Vietnamese co-worker and say "[insert name here], you're Cambodian.  Who's the leader of that country now?"

When he says "I'm Vietnamese. [tersely]" say "Oh, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, whatever.  It's just an arbitrary line the French drew." and then watch the fireworks.

Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[Thrusher]

If you build a man a fire he will be warm for a night. If you set him on fire he will be warm for the rest of his life.

LOL! You owe me a new keyboard!

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

How to win friends and influence people Owl_Eagle style.

How many times have they sent you to sensitivity training again? It must be some sort of record.

[AliVeritas]

LOL

[agere_contra]

low priced commodities designed to depress world prices and effectively crush local economies.

Well, I doubt they're designed to do that, but local farmers having to compete with heavily subsidised, or even free, crops can't help. Africa in general needs stability, laws of property, equality under the law, reduction of regulation/taxation and THEN democracy - but no more food "aid"!

[Pessimist]

"Each day hundreds of mothers flock into the feeding stations set up by the U.N."

"Feeding stations" kinda makes 'em sound like animals. No?

Unfortunately, that's probably a little too accurate an analogy of the problem. There are a lot of places in the world that simply cannot reliably support the populations which inhabit them.

I know we like to think of ourselves as "humane", but every ton of food sent there - however well meaning - just encourages a further increase in population down the road. And with that increased population comes increased suffering. How humane is that?

[Pessimist]

"If you build a man a fire he will be warm for a night. If you set him on fire he will be warm for the rest of his life."


That's a good one!!!

[Alberta's Child]

Actually, he's got a point. I heard a very interesting radio news report last week that gave some detailed information about how foreign aid to Africa has resulted in the devastation of many local industries. The textile industry was an example they used. Local clothing manufacturers in one country they studied were all driven out of business because they (obviously) could not compete with second-hand clothing from the U.S. that was being given away. It's hard to stay in business when your "competitor" is "selling" his product for $0.

[End Times Sentinel]

How many times have they sent you to sensitivity training again? It must be some sort of record.

 

This week will mark session number nine.  They're pretty borring by now, but I always manage to learn a new slur.

Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[AmishDude]

I thought it was the third world that was flooding our markets with low-priced commodities.

Can't we buy our own Made-in-the-USA low-priced commodities?

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

"They're pretty borring by now, but I always manage to learn a new slur."

Wow, I thought you knew them all. I know you wrote most of them.