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by Amina Sheikh Omar Mohamud
Sunday, November 02, 2008
The number of people living in poverty in Africa has increased two times in the last two decades and globalization played a role in creating these problems. Africa was left - colonial inheritance - without human resources, good leadership and education. And they had to start everything from scratch and still struggling to survive.
Globalization has often been used as a justification for taking away social defense and in the long run may be better but, the witticism of Keynes was: “in the long run, we’re all dead”.
Developing and poor countries were forced to liberalize their trade before safety net were put in place; then poverty has soared as incomes have plummeted. There is now a reality of the disaster and the reason for that; in 2007 the number of hungry people in the world grew up to 75 million because of soaring food prices which led to a number of people suffering from malnutrition. It’s catastrophic and tragic, but, Is the most dangerous conditions on the horizon now that in most developing countries, poor farmers could not access to the seeds, fertilizers, and so on which are essential elements for production to be able to provide food for their families and the surplus to the country, if we are in this situation now and no aid is expected in the short run, what will the situation be?.
It seemed that the world have agreed with Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in a high-level conference held in Rome in June, to donate 11 billion dollars and further promises were made to FAO, making the total up to 22 billion. Unless we invest in the agricultural sector the number of hungry people will increase, leading to unrest and riots. FAO urges that it needs thirty billion dollars a year to solve the problem of poverty in the world.
Jacques Diouf, Director of FAO said “The attempt that the donor governments to reduce aid to agriculture in developing countries or the adoption of protectionist trade measures to address the global financial crisis might increase the risk of another food crisis next year.” And he continued that there is a possibility, of another food crisis despite the expected record production of grain crops in 2008. It is expected grain production to increase this year up to 4.9% to reach a new record 2.232 billion tons.
The case of doubt faced by large global markets and the threat of global recession may encourage countries to adopt protectionist policies and the revision of its obligations with regard to international development assistance. The developed countries had promised to increase aid to Africa by doubling in 2010, during a summit meeting of leaders in 2008. What is more worrying is that these countries have not fulfilled their commitments and the pressure on poor countries seems is more acute in particular with sharp increase of oil and food prices.
Central Banks around the world injected billions of dollars to the markets when a credit crisis occurred and still injecting, but not to the paltry sums to provide food subsidies for poor people.
A study done by the German Institute for the fight against hunger, indicates that the number of people suffering from hunger in the world reached during 2008 up to 923 million people in more than 88 countries around the world, these countries are in Africa, Asia and the Middle East in the forefront of the Palestinian Authority areas (the Gaza Strip) and Latin America. The international financial crisis has contributed greatly in the suffering of the poor in the world due to the rise in food prices, and climate fluctuations.
The detractor of globalization blame Western countries of hypocrisy, and the critics are accurate. The Western countries have pressed poor countries to abolish trade barriers, but unfortunately kept up their own barriers, preventing developing and underdeveloped countries from exporting their agricultural products and so stingy them of dreadfully needed export income. While they preached that developing countries should not subsidize their industries, they continued to provide billions in subsides to their own farmers, making it impossible for the developing countries to compete.
A new agricultural policy – Which should be fair – is required to help increase agricultural commodities in order to meet the need of the international markets and to help the poor countries, in addition the pledges countries has to increase donations given to the FOA to around 10 billion euros a year to secure food in the world.
A growing segregate between the haves and have-nots has left escalating numbers in the least developing countries in dire poverty, living in less than a dollar a day. Regardless of constant promises of poverty reduction made over the last decade, the authentic number of people living in poverty has actually increased than before. And this happens at the same time that total world income essentially increased.
Rich countries in the world could only provide one billion dollar to FOA where the promised amount was $22 billion, to feed the poor people who are dying for hunger. On the other hand, they were able to provide hundred billion of dollars to address the financial crisis so it is easy to say that poor countries are left on their own and no one is serious in helping them since we are yet to see any serious action taken to wards eradicating poverty.
Hence, Somalia always was an exceptional case like the other nations in the continent, start from old colonization to the modern colonization were we are in pain from tangible and intangible diseases. The current situation need extraordinary analysis, we lack critical assets and personnel and if not matched by resources, mandates are empty. Half (50%) of our population are in urgent need of aid and the number is potential to increase, Ethiopian troops – who invaded Somalia – were given 120 days mandate to withdraw from the country which means 120 days more pain to the suffering of our people.
World Bank approves US$7 million for Somalia to increase crop and livestock production, actually I am wondering on the amount will the needy receive from the donated amount? This is valid question because of lack of strong and united central government.
The World Bank’s main mission is to eradicate poverty, not so much by providing humanitarian assistance at the time of crisis as by enabling countries to grow, to stand on their own. The international community has not matched words with deeds, and pledges have not been honored, and developed countries are busy to clear messes created by rich individuals from poor people’s pocket…. There is no aid in our door step and still we are killing each other for the sake of fulfilling international community interest, which is the majority suffer for the sake of minority; is it a tolerable?, And for how long?
Amina Sheikh Omar Mohamud
E-mail: [email protected]