Letters to the Editor: Long-term solutions for food insecurities

Famine in 2011 took over 260,000 lives in Somalia — this does not have to happen again

People try to fill water bottles in a displacement camp for people impacted by drought in Baidoa, Somalia last month. Picture: Ed Ram/Getty Images

We (139 signatories, list of which is with the Editor) welcome recent attention in the Irish Examiner to the global food crisis — ‘Horn of Africa: The developed world must now show solidarity with those on the brink’ (October 22). We would like to encourage further in-depth, non-sensational, and independent reporting in this and other media outlets.

As a result of a delayed global response, the 2011 famine claimed the lives of more than 260,000 people in Somalia, half of them children under five. This does not have to happen again.

Food insecurity is not inevitable, it is political. Today, the convergence of the Russian war in Ukraine, disruption of agri-food supply chains, locust infestation, successive failures of the rains, hyper-inflation, high energy costs, record-high fertiliser prices, and the rising demand for biofuels all point to a major food crisis.

We need to learn the lessons of the past and take urgent action to save lives before it is too late. Indeed, the crisis threatening us today could be on a far greater scale than in 2011 because of, for instance, the disruption of grain supplies from Ukraine to Africa and the Middle East.

A World Food Programme Report, September 2022, highlights 19 ‘Hunger Hotspots’ around the world. As an example, the humanitarian funding required to stave off pending catastrophe in the Horn of Africa, is estimated by the UN to be in the region of €4.16bn, but this appeal to international donors is falling drastically short.

The report also notes that in Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Yemen humanitarian action will be critical in preventing further starvation and death. We note Minister for State for Irish Aid, Colm Brophy’s comment in The Irish Times last month: “Europe facing its own problems, but we cannot let that distract us from catastrophe facing the region”. 

We urge him and other government officials to show leadership and to use all the mechanisms at their disposal to influence international donors.

Specifically, we ask that humanitarian assistance be made available as a matter of urgency to the most vulnerable, food-insecure people in the world. 

We also ask the Irish government and the international community, to take stronger political action and to use all the means at their disposal to ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered to those at risk of famine in conflict zones, eg, in northern Ethiopia, and to ensure starvation is not used as a weapon of war, as it is currently being used in Tigray and Yemen for example.

While short-term humanitarian measures are imperative in current crises, clearly they will have limited long-term impact unless our governments ensure that all policies (economic, trade, tax, migration, climate change, agriculture, industry, aid, etc) consistently support those most vulnerable to climate change, conflict, food insecurity, and poverty around the world. Long-term structural and systematic change is imperative to mitigate against such disasters in the future.

Gertrude Cotter

Centre for Global Development,University College Cork

Running out of room for refugees

Thirty-three Ukrainian refugees had to spend the night at Dublin Airport at the weekend and a dozen or so Ukrainian refugees had to get a meal at the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin.

What is going on. Where were our social welfare people? And where were the Department of Justice people who also have a responsibility for these refugees — most of whom are probably suffering from some level of PTSD? The Russian forces, I won’t call them troops or soldiers, they are barbarians, are slaughtering Ukrainian people wholesale.

For us, holy Catholic Ireland, to accept these victims in and then leave them to their own devices is un-Christian, to say the least. The Capuchin Day Centre provides meals on a daily basis to hundreds of our own poor, they also take care of families.

Now they have the additional responsibility of feeding refugees. They need our help, as the government doesn’t seem to be doing much to help. So let us as the good Christians we are, support the Capuchin Day Centre, it’s the least we can do.

John Fair

Castlebar

Co Mayo

Truss not at fault for UK economic woes

Journalists within the mainstream British media are jubilant at yet another prime ministerial resignation and satirists are having a field day. But yet there are many important issues not being addressed.

Liz Truss cannot be blamed for Britain's economic troubles.

The prime minister may well be the mantlepiece of the UK political system, but the fires of fame and fortune rage on. The former prime minister Mary Elizabeth Truss was accused of crashing the economy, but the UK insists upon living with an economic system which depends a lot on investor nervousness. 

Ms Truss wasn’t responsible for high inflation just as she wasn’t responsible for vast increases in the cost of fuel. Labour won’t fare any better, and they’ll blame any economic woes on an economy they inherited. 

It’s as if a UK chancellor will appear and be able to correct all the economic indicators — if only they have enough university education, enough experience, know when to take advice from experts, look good on camera, and possess oratorical skills to boot. 

God forbid if the next UK chancellor has ginger hair, a frayed collar, scrimps on PR branding, or went to a comprehensive school. Then the UK economy is in big trouble

Louis Shawcross

Hillsborough

Co Down

Reinstalling Boris Johnson to power

The 1922 Committee don’t want him; the majority of Tory Party MPs don’t want him, and 65% of the UK electorate don’t want him.

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are back in the race.

But if he got back from Barbados fast enough to get into Oxford Union mode our auld pal “honey monster” will give the hundred-plus MPs a rattle and land in the sands of that gladiatorial Tory Party arena.

One hundred-plus MPs plus; if he gets that he will have more than Mordaunt. If he jumps that fence, Graham Brady knows well that the crackpot, Home Counties, antediluvian Tory Party membership will reinstall Boris Johnson.

He isn’t the worst, but it’s close. He isn’t a villain; he is just a tourist. Amazed to be ushered into power. Again.

Michael Deasy

Bandon

Co Cork

Urging caution over smoking bans

Of late, suggestions have been made in relation to proposed legislation banning smoking in certain public areas. In response I would advocate caution as legislation very often well intended in relation to smoking has resulted with unintended consequences.

When the smoking ban was introduced in 2004 it had the desired impact of preventing smoking in public buildings, but in contrast led to the basic ash tray becoming an antiquated concept that has resulted in ever increasing amounts of cigarette butts being dropped on our streets. 

As one on litter patrol regularly, I can confirm that cigarette ends are the most frequently dropped litter item. Yet when we give consideration to the smoking related litter, we find that is impossible to enforce the litter laws in question. This is why the enforcement of any proposed legislation in relation to smoking must be considered, if lessons are to be learned.

Tadhg O’Donovan

Fermoy

Co Cork

Library readings of newspaper articles

Libraries facilitate a wonderful service by providing members of the public with newspapers to read for free each day of the week. But would it not be even better still if members of the public could also get a chance to hear their own favorite newspaper articles read out to them each day?

When members of the public could have a chance to have their own individually chosen newspaper article read aloud to them (in a place such as a library) then it could create for them, I believe, a positive and much necessary feeling of involvement in their local community.

This feeling of involvement could also be very important for marginalised people too? Wonderful conversations about important local issues and also about other wider, world issues might be more likely to take place among people on other occasions too outside of these newspaper readings?

The main newspaper headline articles could be read out first at these reading sessions before members of the public get to pick their choice of articles to hear. All such newspaper reading sessions could be broadcast on the internet as well as being recorded permanently for posterity to listen to.

Sean O’Brien

Kilrush

Co Clare

Golfing success

Thank you for publishing an article on my daughter’s win in the Irish Intervarsity Golf Championship.

My late father Alf, who hailed from Shanakiel Place in Cork, would have been so proud of the article.

Harry Dwyer

Monaghan