IRIN updates

Yesterday was a hot day the world of food insecurity across many countries in Asia and Africa.

Sri Lanka- Increasing food costs and shortages are causing Sri Lankans to use money that would have gone to education or health care costs is now paying for decreased quantities of food for families. To make matters worse, due to lack of funding, the WFP has suspended food for work programs in part of the country.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=77985


Somalia-People in rural and urban areas are suffering from a severe drought, which led to loss of livestock and crops. Locals have exhausted their capacity to help and deaths have been reported. This, combined with inflation of food prices has the government urging humanitarian organizations to assist.
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=77989


Burundi- Over 5,000 people are now displaced after flood destroyed their homes, food supply, and agricultural harvests. The government is asking for humanitarian aid and no plan exists to help the IDPs.
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=77988

All of these dire situations and a limited amount of help.

I think that it is interesting that all of the governments are asking for outside humanitarian aid. Especially when Alex de Waal seemed particularly harsh in talking about aid organizations, and that even though they have good intentions and noble goals, many humanitarian aid organizations miss the mark because they lack accountability and sustainability. They must be doing something right... right?

If governments across Asia and Africa are asking for help, this is support for humanitarian aid organizations being of assistance to at least someone in need. Or is it just a false sense of security that these organizations provide to the countries and people in need? I have a hard time believing that there is no benefit to humanitarian aid. I think that even in the worst of all situations, when aid is given with no structure, effective programming or planning, the aid is still being of assistance to the populations receiving it. Yes, the aid might not be sustainable, but is it better to give no aid?

I know that I just talked about this in a previous post, but I felt that these articles and thoughts had a direct contribution to the topic.

I do think there is a bottom line... people need help and we as current and future aid workers feel a intrinsic need to provide it. And we are learning along the way. I don't agree that everything currently done is right, but I do think that there is a moral obligation to assist.