Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Across Africa, the worst food crisis since 1985 looms for 50 million
Guardian UK ^ | 22 May 2016 | John Vidal

Posted on 05/22/2016 8:50:55 AM PDT by Lorianne

Harvest should be the time for celebrations, weddings and full bellies in southern Malawi. But Christopher Witimani, Lilian Matafle and their seven children and four grandchildren had nothing to celebrate last week as they picked their meagre maize crop.

Last year’s drought, followed by erratic rains, hit the village of Nkhotakota hard. But this year the rains never came and, for a second year running, the family grain store is empty. If they manage their savings carefully and eat just one small meal a day, they may just have enough food for two more months.

By August, said Irish charity Concern Worldwide, they and tens of thousands of other small farmers in southern Malawi will have completely run out of food, with no prospect of another harvest for at least seven months. With nothing to sell and no chance of earning money, Witimani, Matafle and family will starve.

“I am worried the children will starve to death. I don’t know what to do,” said Matafle.

“We need food. We are in a desperate situation,” her husband added.

Countries are just waking up to the most serious global food crisis of the last 25 years. Caused by the strongest El Niño weather event since 1982, droughts and heatwaves have ravaged much of India, Latin America and parts of south-east Asia. the last of the large-scale famines affecting many millions, donor countries have been slow to pledge funds or support. More than $650m and 7.9m tonnes of food are needed immediately, says the UN. By Christmas, the situation will have become severe.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: communist; culturefail; famine; malawi; unsustainable
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-67 last
To: Lorianne

WHAT THE HELL! We are sending billions of $$ since Rush Limbuagh was a kid, just ask Rush do not take my word for.


61 posted on 05/22/2016 12:29:35 PM PDT by BlueJ7
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: antidisestablishment

Did you have a point? Beyond setting up a straw man in implying I asserted a “single cause” here?


62 posted on 05/22/2016 12:36:42 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: gaijin

But *all cultures are equal*....

So they say....


63 posted on 05/22/2016 2:21:59 PM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal (God is a racist! Get over it snowflakes. Deuteronomy 7:6-8; Romans 9:13-15)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: gaijin

Foreign aid will also be responsible for wiping out the animals, as they will be harvested for food and money.


64 posted on 05/22/2016 2:45:58 PM PDT by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: IronJack

3) and stop making babies!!! Sterilization needs to occur.


65 posted on 05/22/2016 2:48:41 PM PDT by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: BlueJ7

Many people say that is the problem.


66 posted on 05/22/2016 3:48:48 PM PDT by Lorianne
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: Moltke

Thanks for clearing that up. What I was trying to claim is that South Afrikaners were able to make Africa a self sustaining country with an abundance of food for all. Along came the Mau, Mau and the ANC. Now Africans cannot feed themselves. They’ve killed off the farmers and slowly are killing the Afrikaners today.


67 posted on 05/22/2016 4:40:16 PM PDT by Doc91678 (Doc91678)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-67 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson