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Madagascar suffering worst famine needs global attention!

By Kang Suzy | 기사입력 2021/08/04 [08:26]

Madagascar suffering worst famine needs global attention!

By Kang Suzy | 입력 : 2021/08/04 [08:26]

▲ Drought and poverty caused by climate change have led to severe hunger in southern Madagascar. Madagascar has contributed nothing to climate change.


Madagascar is experiencing its worst drought triggered by climate change and desperately needs the aid of developed countries. According to the report of the World Food Programme (WFP) released on June 23rd this year, about 1.3 million people in southern Madagascar have already been in starvation, especially 130,000 infants under the age of five suffer from severe malnutrition.

 

The world’s fourth largest island, Madagascar, where many unique species of plants and animals live, has faced abnormal weather conditions for the last 40 years. Only dried red soils fill the plains which had once been fully covered by rice, and lives in Madagascar are losing their vitality. Short of food, they barely satisfy their hunger eating non-foods such as mud, termites or pieces of leather which are the materials normally used in making shoes.

David Beasley, executive director of WFP, claimed that the severe drought causing the shortage of food happened due to climate change and developed countries are to blame for the environmental problems. In addition, he gave an appeal that advanced countries must take responsibility of this situation and provide immediate support to Madagascar which has contributed nothing to climate change. 

 

“Currently, Madagascar faces the worst food insecurity situation which has never happened in decades. We can see many poor farmers sleeping in the fields in fear of losing dried vegetables or see people walking for days to get some bananas,” testified Mark Jacobs, managing director of SEED Madagascar, who has worked for the British charity community for 20 years.

 

Madagascar certainly needs global attention from many countries. The WFP has been working closely with the Madagascar government and other partners to address the severe hunger, but it is impossible to solve the tragedy in the short term.    

 

As the crisis deepens, more intensified efforts must be made to prevent more damages. Thus, the Madagascar government and the United Nations are appealing for international help to obtain food which can save lives and prevent major famine. On June 11th, South Korea, one of the four biggest donor countries to Madagascar released a plan to provide humanitarian assistance worth $200,000 to Madagascar.  While expressing appreciation for South Korea’s assistance, Beasley asserted that more additional international support is needed to rectify the grave situation.

 

64th Edition of Weeklymonday (August 2, 2021) 

 
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