Iraq aid efforts raise Africa questions

Boston Globe ^ | April 15, 2003 | John Donnelly

[sarcasm]

ASHINGTON -- Relief efforts for Iraq are threatening to siphon away funding for the world's other crises, raising questions about why the world treats Africans differently than other people, senior UN officials and humanitarian groups say.

James Morris, head of the World Food Program, told the UN Security Council last week that his organization's $1.8 billion request for emergency food aid for Africa remains more than $1 billion short.

[goody2shooz]

Africans are not always facing starvation. That continent is rich in resources and human capital and should never be destitute. I see the problem as too many meddling do-gooders, most of whom are European.

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[JoJo Gunn]

Well, didn't the UN and Greenpeace leave them enough caviar and bottled water at the Earth Summit last year?

http://www.americandaily.com/article.php?t=854

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/745309/posts

[KeyWest]

Change the governments to democracies and starvation will go away.

[Go Gordon]

''We are all seized with the war in Iraq,'' Morris said. ''But as we meet today, there are nearly 40 million Africans in greater peril. They are struggling against starvation.'' Morris questioned whether a double standard existed in responding to crises in Africa and elsewhere. ''How is it we routinely accept a level of suffering and hopelessness in Africa we would never accept in any other part of the world? We simply cannot let this stand,'' he said.

One huge difference. The Iraq situation is relatively temporary, until the country gets bcak on its feet and the country becomes self sufficient. Africa, with the help of guys like Mugabe, is a perpetual disaster. Does the world have a responsibility to finance the thugs that run the countries in Africa? I don't think so. The last time I checked the US Constitution, it didn't mention confiscating money from US citizens to finance Africa.

[Tripleplay]

I gave at the office.

[BIGZ]

I dont understand! The United States is a despot nation. The world is against the United States, but obviously not against our money.

Any country that did not join the US in the was vs. Iraq should get kaka poopoo.

[Bob Buchholz]

Yep, we are trying to starve them all!

afrol News, 1 June 2002 - While Zimbabwe currently is experiencing severe food shortages caused by drought and political unrest, the government has refused to accept a donation of 10,000 tons of maize from the United States on the suspicion it may be genetically modified. 

US officials yesterday reported that the food aid had been turned away by the Zimbabwean government. "Zimbabwe did not waive its requirement that entering commodities must be certified not of genetically modified origin, or non-GMO," the US Embassy in Harare said in a statement, adding that about 34,400 tons of US food aid has already been provided. 

The Embassy informed that the maize donation - which was being distributed through the World Food Programme (WFP) - would instead be sent to neighbouring Zambia, also suffering severe food shortages. 

While the decision not to accept the US food donation was harshly cririsiced by the Zimbabwean opposition - claiming the government is using food as a political weapon - environmental organisations agree with the Zimbabwean government. 

Evidence is increasing that the the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is distributing genetically modified food as a part of its food aid programmes. These types of modifications are not approved for human consumption in a majority of the world's countries and could further damage local plant varieties if used as seeds. 

Consumer and environment groups in Latin America only last year found food aid to contain genetically modified ingredients. Samples of food aid originating in the US and distributed by programmes in Latin America were sent to Genetic ID, an independent laboratory in the US. The tests found levels of genetically modified organisms in soya and maize to be as high as 90 percent; causing an outrage in recipient countries.

USAID last month announced it had responded to the food crisis in Southern Africa by "providing 95,000 metric tons of food assistance to the region, valued at US$ 50 million." 80,000 metric tons of this assistance was to be channelled through the WFP, the agency stated. This has not been certified as free from genetic modifications as requested by the Zimbabwean government. 

Sources: Based on US govt, press reports and afrol archives