Food crisis in the Horn of Africa

Useless weeds that don’t feed cattle can make the ground look deceptively green in places. In this photo a soldier-turned-farmer, heaves an ox-drawn plough through a weed-infested field in the early morning sun. One of the vicious circles subsistence farmers get trapped in is that animals become too weak to draw.

Soaring food prices and a crippling drought are currently jeopardizing the lives of 20 million people in the Horn of Africa. Many of the affected people are already living on the margins of survival due to conflict, displacement and chronic poverty.

Drought is also not a new phenomenon to the region. However, this time external factors like the price of food and fuel on the international markets and the significant fluctuations in the dollar exchange rates threaten to push millions over the edge. This may potentially develop into famine not seen on such a scale for many years. To help the affected people survive, the International Federation seeks to address both short-term and long term needs by supplying both emergency aid and targeted recovery assistance.

Photo: Alex Wynter/IFRC (p18712)

To find out more, go to www.ifrc.org/foodcrisis/.