The Causes and Ramification of Hunger in Africa

Some of the Causes and Ramification of Hunger in Africa are as follows:

The causes and ramification of hunger in Africa upto the second half of the 20th century almost the entire African continent was under subjugation of European colonial powers which believed only in exploitation the African countries.

These colonial powers demarcated the boundaries of their areas of control according to their convenience and on the basis of social, geographical and cultural realities. When these powers freed the African nations from their clutches, power, struggle among major tribal and ethnic groups in most of the African nations ensued.

Power was grabbed by a few persons using undemocratic and often violent means. This led to rise of military and doctorial forms of rule in these nations. The result was lack of growth of democratic institutions, perpetual political instability and a low or negative level of economic and social development.

In the process, the common people were left unattended and lack of democratic rights made them unalterable to poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, malnutrition etc, all this led to the creation of vicious circle where hunger become both cause as well as effect of political instability e.g., Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Rwanda, Burundi, Yogo, Sudan, Ivory Coast, Nigeria etc.

In these countries nearly one-third of the population suffers from hunger. Even where there is food available, people do not have money to buy it and hence, die of hunger. According to the estimates of UNDP, the number of hungry people in sub-Saharan countries has gone up 94 million in 1970 to 183 millions in 2003. 16.5% children in these countries die of hunger, malnutrition and associated problems, before they are able to attain the age of 5 years.

The ramification of hunger in this continent can be seen as follows:

a. It had led to mass migration of people from drought and strife hit areas to neighbouring countries.

b. This exodus escalates the ethnic tensions.

c. Hunger has aggravated AIDS problem in Africa due to rise in prostitution.

d. International aid agencies such as Red Cross, UNICEF, WHO etc are rendering help, but only with partial success due to apathy of the local in these regions.

e. Developed countries are using hunger as political weapons to project their own agenda. They have an eye on the untapped mineral and hydroelectrically resources of the continent.

f. Hunger has made international community force African leadership to introduce democracy and more rights to the people.