The sub Saharan region is threatened by a famine of terrible magnitude, where close to 13 million people in Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Malawi could perish in the next three months, unless there is a huge humanitarian intervention. Should the 2003 harvest fail, these figures would double - an unimaginable disaster. Despite the media coverage and urgent appeals from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and other organisastions for money, the world has been slow in responding while the needs are escalating.
The underlying reasons for the food insecurity in Africa as a whole are complex and originate from a range of factors that reinforce and compound one another. The Southern Africa region has faced severe flooding, followed by dry spells which resulted in the widespread failure of maize, millet and cassava harvests. The HIV/AIDS pandemic that affects up to 30% of Southern Africa's adult population has further eroded people's coping mechanisms. The political instability that pertains in some areas aggravates the situation: as people flee their countries, agriculture is disrupted and regular access to food becomes a major challenge.
The food shortage is a devastating manifestation of the multifaceted crises faced by the African continent. Attempts towards growth, supported by development aid, have been largely unsuccessful. This is evident if one considers that Africa's combined gross domestic product (GDP) of 240 billion USD makes up only 1.3% of the world economy. Africa's significance to the world economy has been falling consistently since 1945. The World Trade Organisation says Africa now accounts for 2% of all exports; down from 7.4% in 1948. Africa's economy has declined in a period of unprecedented growth elsewhere in the world. This has had profound consequences especially to the poor, the sick and the disabled masses of African people.
South Africa is not exempt from this scenario. It is estimated that 20% of the adult population has no formal education and that 34% of the population is unemployed. There are huge differences between income groups, with 62% of South Africans earning less than 150 USD per month and only 11% earning above 450 USD per month. Of a total population of 40.5 million, 57% of people have formal housing, 16% live in informal settlements (shacks), 50% have no toilet facilities and 55% no running water inside their homes. The HIV/AIDS prevelance rate is estimated to be 18% and in some areas, as high as 35%.
Although South Africa is not on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) food insecurity list, there is widespread poverty and hunger, especially in the rural and informal settlement areas. Extreme weather conditions make large parts of the population vulnerable to disasters such as droughts, floods and sudden cold spells. Due to rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation, the fringes of the cities have high population densites where fires and floods are major hazards. The nature and positioning of informal settlements pose a health risk as they have no health facilities, poor streets or roads infrastructure, poor drainage and sanitation facilities.
As more than 40,000 people arrived in Johannesburg to attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development, two hundred all-terrain trucks donated to the Red Cross by the Norwegian Government, reached the port of Durban. By 5 September, the humanitarian convoys will be ready to begin their journey to Lesotho, Swaziland, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia to deliver food to those in need. Disaster relief efforts are underway, even as we debate the seemingly more grandiose issues of development at the summit.
The International Federation's 2002 World Disaster Report links disaster preparedness or reducing the risk from disasters to development. It also recognises the resiliance and ability of disaster-affected communities to "bounce back into action" as well as their abilty to reach out and help one another – a lesson for all development and relief agencies.
"I believe that the issues around transition from relief to development are rooted in the way we conceptualise the relationship between disasters and development. This drives decisions on how we build the institutional response to the needs of disaster victims and the requirements of development. We need to devise and implement comprehensive strategies for addressing both," Didier Cherpitel, Secretary General of the International Federation is quoted as saying.
An attempt to devise a holistic strategy that will bring about the economic and political regeneration in Africa came from African leaders with the formation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). The World Summit in Johannesburg has raised hopes for new insights and solutions, as disasters – man made and natural – take their toll on the global economy. What could have been done proactively, to ameliorate or pre-empt the impact of the floods that devastate vulnerable communities? Is the city/urban planning process sensitive to the housing needs of people already pushed down by poverty and ill-health? Are political agendas questioned when housing is planned in areas where floods are bound to have an obvious impact?
Looking at the preliminary programme of the Johannesburg summit and NEPAD's plan to assist Africa to break out of the cycle of poverty and place the continent on a path towards sustainable growth, there are many common denominators. There is a glimpse of the complexity of sustainable development: good governance, water for African cities, protecting global climate systems, population development, technology transfer, consumption patters and capacity building, environmental governance, training initiatives on sustainable urbanisation, volunteering, energy and sustainable development, youth, women, children, community action, agriculture, health, and many other issues.
Taking on this agenda is a tall order for anyone involved in the various sectors. However, if integration starts at the initial planning stages, involving all sectors, then all the role players can pool their resources in contributing to stronger development, which can withstand the effects of even the most devastating disaster. Working with vulnerable communities from the start, identifying historical hazards and risks, we are able to incorporate these into any future planning, thus minimising the negative impact of disasters. The resources used in planning, training and empowering communities are a better investment than the millions spent on relief efforts when the same community faces a disaster.
We hope that the World Summit will lead to a change in attitude and political will, where sustainable development planning takes disaster preparedness and response into account and community involvement is prioritised.
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