Case Studies in Africa

Widespread malnutrition in Darfur

Country: Sudan
Year: Current
Type: Problem & Impacts

Darfur is a region in Sudan which has experienced in the last few decades, ongoing conflict resulting in the displacement of millions of people. The main problem in Darfur is the fighting. It is this which prevents proper aid from reaching the neediest areas and continues to be a problem for aid workers. According to BBC News and the African Union approximately one in three people displaced cannot receive aid due to fighting.

The director of health programs for the International Rescue Committee said “We focus on the emergency, but look at the long term… You have malnourished children who will never reach their full physical and mental potential because of this”. This is directly related to children being most affected by lack of vitamins, minerals and proteins which a lack of leads to stunted bone and muscle growth, risk of stroke and early death.

This is a prime example of where the government has let the population down. The individual's opinion and actions are being supplanted by the greater overwhelming power of the sudan government. To rectify this problem, the government needs to be stabalized either through internal or external intervention. Infrastructure for farming and safe distribution channels should be established. These are just suggestions of ways to solve the problem. However, it is often much harder to move beyond a plan and into action.

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Agricultural subsidies in Malawi
Country: Malawi
Year: 2001 – current
Type: Solution / Problem

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world relies primarily on profits from the product and cultivation of maize – Malawi’s staple diet – to provide for it’s economy and general health of the population. Since Malawi does not have the capacity to produce other foods, it relies heavily on its maize production. Food production has been reduced because fertilizer is so expensive. As a result of this the government introduced agricultural subsidies to support its farmers. This enabled many farmers to be able to support their families and buy other types of food. However, due to the nature of farming, if there are natural disasters such as floods and droughts these agricultural subsidies do not provide a security net. This is currently a problem that must be solved by the government.

Because of heavy focus on subsidies farmers have not spent much time looking at alternatives to managing crop in such periods of drought and famine. Malawi produces about 12 million tonnes of maize per year for the sole purpose of feeding the population. It produces only a surplus of 1.5 million tonnes for storage and export. The UN has warned that unless better farming practices regarding fertilizers, irrigation and sustainable water and land development it “will seriously jeopardize their long-term food security, productivity and incomes, while environmental degradation will accelerate”. While maize provides essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, it lacks vital micronutrients and more importantly protein.This allows for a variety of crops to be grown and provide greater nutritional benefit.

There is much to be learnt from what is currently occuring in malawi. While the Malawi government is helping its citizens survive by giving subsidies, it is ignoring more long term issues. If a government is to succesfully help tackle an issue it must find a solution that will help in the long run. Immediate aid will help alleviate the issue now but if we ignore the future, there will be no future left.

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