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Taylor Mikesell
Mrs. Barnes
English 102
17 April 2015
Famine in Africa
According to Websters Dictionary, famine is defined as extreme scarcity of food, but
to the people of Africa, it means a whole lot more (Famine). Famine is a build up over time,
and it is a very hard thing to overcome. Many people in Africa are starving due to various
reasons such as overworking without enough food, malnourishment, and poverty. Society needs
to be aware of these horrific actions that are taking place, and step up and make a change.
People in Africa go days on end without ever receiving food. Many days they wake up
hoping for some kind of meal, but are often quickly let down. This is happening for various
reasons, but by no means is it okay for them to be starving. An African states, The number of
hungry people in the region has increased by 83m to 275m since the early 1990 (Land). The
amount of people in Africa going hungry is constantly growing, and its not growing in small
numbers. Hunger is growing in large quantities.
There are many different reasons for hunger. Africa has a variety of problems
contributing to the famine. One of the main reasons right now are gunfights, which leads to a
shortage of money for fuel and importing wheat products. The tractors do not have fuel to run,
and there isnt enough money to produce wheat and other goods (Land). This particular
problem is growing rapidly, and its leading to a serious scarcity of grain products in the area.
Many of the people in Africa dont know what to do to solve the famine. So, some are
looking for an alternative place to go for food (Land). Although this may solve the problem for a

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few families, there are many families out there who cant just pack up their belongings and go in
search of food. Famine strikes these families the most, and it often hits them the hardest.
In many cases, the people who know about the hunger problems in Africa dont do
anything to actually help them. So, families are giving up all hope of some kind of relief. Save
the Children and Oxfam is one of the few organizations working to help the starving people of
Africa. Africa needs twenty-five billion US dollars to regain control of poverty. Yet, they have
only received eleven billion US dollars ("We're here). What Africa is receiving is not nearly
enough to impact the people in need of money and food.
Money is a big issue causing hunger. The executive director of MSF, Marc DuBois
states, The real problem is money from donors will be highly politicised. Governments take
sides. Thats why money in Afghanistan goes to winning hearts and minds or building the
legitimacy of the Afghan state (Rowe). The money donated from aids around the area isnt
given to the ones who really need it. It is given to some people to keep them out of the most
extreme case of poverty. If you have even the slightest bit of money, you dont get much help
(Rowe). Everyone who is starving because of poverty needs help.
Poverty, malnourishment, overworking with hardly any food, and various other reasons
are leading to the Africans starving. Society must be informed of the horrendous acts taking
place, and step up and make a difference. Famine affecting the majority of Africa, and the
families are beginning to lose hope. Organizations are saying that they are helping by donating
money to the poor families, when really the people who actually need it the most are not getting
enough to even provide food for themselves and their families.

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Taylor Mikesell
Mrs. Barnes
English 112
6 April 2015
Works Cited
"Famine." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2011.
Web. 8 May 2011.

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Jacobs, Sherelle. "The revolution has started: although Africa's enormous agricultural potential
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Land, T.E. "Managing the tragically inevitable." The Middle East June 2013: 26+. Global Issues
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Osa, Edorodion. "Africa needs trade, not aid." New African Feb. 2012: 36+. Global Issues in
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Rowe, Mark. "We're here to help: the bungled response to the 2010-11 famine in the Horn of
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Trust, Gary. "'We Are The World' hit big in 1985." Billboard 12 Apr. 2014: 80. Student
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