Hunger… What associations do you have when you pronounce this word? Empty fridge or skinny wallet? Believe me, for millions of people around the world, this is not just a vague concept, meaning only a growling belly, but a cruel and predatory beast, from whose fangs people constantly die.
In any case, the famine in Africa, which has recently become truly enormous, has already claimed the lives of many thousands of people. Why is this happening, given the relatively enlightened 21st century?
The main reason is the complete absence of what could be called a state, even if with some stretch. Those structures that now exist in the poorest and most problematic African regions do not fall under the definition of a state. Their main activity is to try to put the next president on the throne, who is unlikely to last even a couple of months in his post. It goes without saying that almost all humanitarian aid sent to these countries also ends up in the pockets of the "those in power." That is why famine in Africa basically has social prerequisites that overlap with the general specifics of the region.
Due to the lack of normal infrastructure for local residentssometimes you have to leave your children to certain death, going to the nearest ("only" 100-150 km) settlements for the most necessary medicines and food concentrates. Many of them do not have time to help the kids, who are simply dying of exhaustion.
However, this is not the case everywhere. For example, in Uganda the situation is difficult, but to a certain extent controlled by the government. The local population is sufficiently provided with food, and therefore the famine in Africa in 2011 practically did not affect it.
However, not only the infantilism of the authorities contributes to the deterioration of the situation. With vast areas of land, the population could provide itself with food, but constant droughts and rapid degradation of soil resources nullify all attempts at agriculture. That is why hunger in Africa remains a constant companion of millions of people.
Unfortunately, the economies of all African countries are unable to prevent the consequences of droughts. However, experts have repeatedly noted that with the combined efforts of a number of countries in the region, hunger in Africa could be defeated. However, given the growing Islamization of the population, the "Arab riots" and the general instability of the world economy, one cannot hope for this. No developed country is interested in investing in a semblance of a local economy, and the UN and the Red Cross alone won't get much done.
Scientists, answering the question of why there is famine in Africa, also complain about the deceit in the society of geneticists offering genetically improved cerealscrops that can be grown on poor and even saline soils. This happens not because of an ostentatious concern for human he alth, but because of a banal thirst for profit. After all, it is much more profitable to sell products grown in Europe and America to starving regions.
