Famine and food insecurity continue to threaten millions
MALAWI - The impacts of drought, famine, diseases such as AIDS,
malaria and tuberculosis have combined to threaten most men, women
and children throughout Malawi's rural areas. In a recent report from the
United Nations which highlighted this multiple threat -- officials called
on nations from around the world to help provide as much emergency
relief as possible to those who are most at risk.
Chikwawa district, is one of the regions most affected by the
prolonged dry spell that has completely destroyed the maize crop, a staple
food throughout most of East Africa. The impact of diseases such as
AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria has meant that many children in the
district have been left orphans. Now they are faced with the nearly
impossible task of finding food and other basic living necessities for
themselves -- at a time when hunger threatens large parts of the country.
One government official reports that "many villages in the district had
harvested next to nothing this year, and people were surviving on wild
vegetation and seeking out ganyu (piece work) across the border in
Mozambique. Others are diving for water lilies," the report continued,
"which is extremely dangerous because of there are a lot of crocodiles in
the river." Six members of a family died recently because they ate the
wrong kind of water lily.
"There isn't even enough grain left to plant
for the next growing season -- because there has been no rain."
"Two of our missionaries working in Malawi are working in one of
the areas hardest hit by the food crisis," explains Fr. John Lynch, Director
of Development for the Missionaries of Africa. "Normally, this time of
year, there should be a supply of food left from the last season . . . but
there isn't. As a matter of fact, there isn't even enough grain left to plant
for the next growing season -- because there has been no rain."
"Because there is a food crisis," Fr. Lynch continues, whatever food
that's left is extremely expensive. Now, even those with money have not
been able to buy enough food or seed. The people of Malawi desperately
need emergency assistance with shipments of food, water, medicine and
other basic living necessities. I am praying that the world community will
respond to their pleas for help!"
In Search of Food
Throughout Africa, food crisis claiming lives
EAST AFRICA - With this year's being one of the worst growing seasons on record, many of the
people of Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania are struggling to find enough food to last them
through the next few months. As the region continues to struggle with
no measurable rainfall, an end to the drought that began several years
ago is nowhere in sight.
"We delayed planting, and planted our seed in November," one
farmer explained. " We even had fertilizer -- but there hasn't been
any rain . . . and so we have harvested nothing. The place is dry." The
ground he pointed to was usually abundant with crops for his entire
village. Now, it is nothing but baked earth.
Life for many of the households headed by orphaned children has
become much more difficult. They have no work skills so they cannot
work and barter for food. They must scavenge whatever they
can wherever they can find it -- including garbage cans and
trash heaps. Desperate households have begun to sell livestock,
such as pigs and chickens. But as more and more people sell
they livestock, the price has gone down. Now, there are fewer
buyers.
They must scavenge whatever they can wherever they can find it -- including garbage cans and
trash heaps.
In one household, a single woman tries to find food for her
children. Her husband died of disease a few years ago. With
three children to feed, the woman relies on whatever work
"piece-work" she can find to buy maize for the household. But
with a poor harvest, work has been hard to find. Now, she and
her three children have resorted to foraging for edible wild
vegetation.
"Sometimes when we work," she explains, "people pay us
with maize. But a few times, we have been attacked and our food
stolen." The young mother tried to plant this season, but without rain,
any effort was futile. As a result, the family searches for leaves and
berries. "The wild leaves we eat are bitter and sometimes they make us
vomit, but we just have enough maize meal to last a day," the mother
said. Now, the family must eat only one meal a day.
"Many families are going without food altogether," explains
Missionary of Africa, Fr. John Lynch. "This is especially true among child-headed families . . . children whose parents have died. If they don't have any animals or source of income, they must find something for themselves. That doesn't always work."
