The Charter to End Extreme Hunger provides some of the answers to the famines that beset Africa, according to Australia’s former attorney general and foreign minister Gareth Evans. With sufficient forethought famines are preventable, and the Charter calls on governments to support local food production, protect the poorest, make food affordable, improve emergency aid systems and reduce conflict.
The East African Famine which began in the second half of last year took some time to develop, and many more deaths could have been prevented if the international community had responded in a more timely manner (assuming that security issues in Somalia could be resolved). In the next few months a famine is expected to develop in Niger, and there is plenty of time to prepare for a response to that.
However, preventing famines is more about strengthening the resilience of vulnerable communities in coping with droughts than about delivering emergency food supplies. According to the Charter, support needs to be provided to small-scale food producers, and communities need assistance in managing natural resources. The poor need to have access to savings opportunities, and there need to be social safety nets.