Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 44 No. 4. March 23 1981
Real Aid Needed — United East African Famine Appeal
Real Aid Needed
United East African Famine Appeal
At least thirty million people, more than half of them children, are affected by famine in East Africa. In the horn of Africa alone, twelve million are affected. Add to that the hundreds of thousands of refugees and you have a crisis of major proportions. But why? The answer is to be found in the recent history of East Africa - a century of war, exploitation and greed.
The failure of rain for two years in a row has caused widespread drought in Africa. Some rain has fallen recently in Somalia and Ethiopia but it has fallen too early for the sowing season. There are fears of yet another poor harvest in October and November. The situation is worst in the horn of Africa (see map). Stretching across Africa from Senegal (on the western coast) to Ethiopia is the Sahel; a region of low rainfall, poor soil (sand), harsh climate (see map). Supplementary food programmes are operating in the East African countries in the Sahel region; but the work is hampered by measles, malaria and the influx of refugees. In Somalia, a shortage of fuel is slowing the delivery of emergency food.
Local Hosts Struggling
Almost everywhere in Africa there are refugees and displaced persons. One and a half million live in over crowded camps in Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti. Supplies of medicine, food and water present problems to the host countries. However these countries although hard pressed to meet the needs of their own people do their best to aid refugees.
Subversion of Land Use by Imperialists
In sharp contrast to this are the actions of Western Governments and the Soviet Union. The problems of famines and war are not solely of African making. Before European intervention, land was used solely for the growth of food and grazing of stock. The European Colonial powers seeking raw materials, sliced up Africa between them. The boundaries of the colonies cut across tribal groupings. Land not essential to immediate food needs was no longer used to grow excess for times of drought, but used to grow cash crops such as coffee.
Even after independence, economic colonialism continues. Western loans and aid over the last two decades have been conditional on the development of cash cropping and export industries at the expense of food production. Transnational corporations grow carnations and chrysanthemums for Europe while Africans grow hungry.
Superpower rivalry escalates tensions in Africa and it is Africans who suffer. The majority of refugees in eastern Africa are fleeing the war in Eritrea. Eritrea, a colony under Italy, then a protectorate under the British, has been fighting a war of independence against Ethiopia since 1962. The Soviet Union, originally behind the Eritrean People's Liberation Front is now actively supporting the Ethiopian forces. Soviet power politics has escalated the conflict and the Soviet Union is largely responsible for the current refugee crisis.
"Aid" Inedible
Increased United States presence in Egypt and Somalia and the declaration of the "Carter octrine" (US intervention in the Middle East to protect US interests) has added to the tension.
Tanks and jets don't relieve famine. Jet fighters don't aid development. Africans cannot eat carnations. All the East Africans want is self reliance and self determination.
While there are the long term needs of peace and development, there is an urgent need for medicine, food and shelter. The United East African Famine Appeal has been designed to cut administration costs so that the maximum amount reaches East Africa. Their advertisement in this issue explains the appeal. Have a think about it - but do not think about it for too long because delay will cost lives. Student health