Tuesday

26th Sep 2023

Africa aid dilemma of helping starving over the hungry

  • Crops in Ukraine have been laid to waste by Russian artillery (Photo: Roman Ratushnyi)
Listen to article

EU officials are warning of devastating impacts of a sustained drought hitting the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, as humanitarian workers face a dilemma of having to choose to help the starving over the hungry.

Some 85 million people spread throughout the two regions are currently in a food crisis that is set to continue into next year. The issue has alarmed Andrea Koulaimah, a European Commission official who works in its development branch, ECHO.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

On Tuesday (30 August), she told MEPs aid workers are having to face the difficult dilemma of prioritising aid to the starving over aid to the hungry.

"Those are very difficult choices that unfortunately have to be made because of the lack of resources," she said, noting four failed rainy seasons in the Horn of Africa.

"But we are also seeing that the fifth failing rainy season is coming, and that would be unprecedented," she added.

The drought is already affecting 36.1 million people in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. Climate change, conflict, drought, the socio-economic impact of Covid, and the spike in energy and grain prices are among the drivers now plunging millions of people into hunger.

Conflict in northern Ethiopia has also reignited, amid reports that an airstrike hit a kindergarten in Mekele, the capital of the Tigray region.

Meanwhile, the price of food across east Africa has increased by some 53 percent.

That spike followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine, further aggravating food insecurity in both regions. Some relief came in August when a 23,000 tonne shipment of Ukrainian wheat on a UN-chartered vessel left Ukraine for Djibouti. The shipment will be followed by another 7,000 tonnes and transported to Ethiopia.

Similar comments were made by Leonard Mizzi , another commission official.

"Clearly the security and economic situation risks further deteriorating in both regions," he told MEPs at the same event.

"It's not only a food issue, it's a fuel issue, and it's a food price inflation issue," he said.

Both views were backed by Benoit Munsch, who oversees the Horn of Africa for Care, an NGO. He said the drought in the Horn of Africa could turn out to be the worst in decades.

"We are already speaking about the fifth failed rainy season in October," he said.

Some €2.5bn was pledged for the Sahel in April, of which €1bn came from the EU. Another €1.3bn was pledged for the Horn of Africa, also in April. Of that, the EU pledged €633m.

African Union chief raises alarm over food crisis at EU summit

Disruption in exports of grain and fertilisers as a consequence of the Ukraine war is triggering a "worrying" situation for the continent hosting 282 million undernourished people, African Union president Macky Sall told EU leaders at the summit.

EU urged to grow more wheat to avert food crisis

European agriculture ministers have called for higher domestic farm output, amid food security worries, and a looming food crisis in Africa. Many African countries, eg Benin, Egypt, Sudan, Madagascar, and Burundi, are almost entirely, or exclusively, dependent on Ukrainian grain.

EU’s €500m gender violence plan falls short, say auditors

The 'Spotlight Initiative' was launched in 2017 with a budget of €500 million to end all forms of violence or harmful practices against women and girls in partner countries, but so far it has had "little impact", say EU auditors.

Latest News

  1. EU trade chief in Beijing warns China of only 'two paths' forward
  2. Why should taxpayers pay for private fishing fleets in third countries?
  3. Women at risk from shoddy EU laws on domestic workers
  4. EU poised to agree on weakened emission rules
  5. China trade tension and migration deal This WEEK
  6. Europe's energy strategy: A tale of competing priorities
  7. Why Greek state workers are protesting new labour law
  8. Gloves off, as Polish ruling party fights for power

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  2. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  4. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us