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“November is the last great chance to prevent hundreds of thousands of children in the Horn of Africa starving to death. The world must act at COP27 and G20, and Australia must not avert its eyes,” Reverend Tim Costello, Help Fight Famine.

The hunger crisis

There are 50 million people in 45 countries on the brink of starvation. In the Horn of Africa, more than 22 million people don’t have enough food to eat right now. The United Nations predicts more than 300,000 people in Somalia will be in famine by December. A declaration of famine is made when child malnutrition exceeds 30%, more than one in five households go without food, and two out of every 10,000 people die per day.

Children are the most vulnerable. In 2011, more than a quarter of a million people died of hunger in Somalia and half of them were children younger than the age of five. Without urgent action, this hunger crisis will be much worse, killing more people annually than the entire COVID-19 pandemic.

What’s causing it?

Somalia is in the grip of extreme drought – the worst in four decades. It hasn’t had a proper wet season for four years. The fifth doesn’t look promising. Crops can’t grow, millions of livestock have perished and water is hard to source. Livelihoods have been crippled. This sustained dry period is due to climate change.

The war on Ukraine is also having a major impact. Somalia relies on Russia and Ukraine for products, particularly wheat. Food prices were already high due to the drought and pandemic but they climbed further as production and exports were hampered.

Why COP27 matters

The 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) will be held in Egypt between November 6-18. It’s a chance for wealthier countries that are most responsible for global warming to take responsibility by supporting and compensating developing countries.

Despite its tiny carbon footprint, Somalia is disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. Africa’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is less than 4%. Yet, African nations are being asked to spend around 2% to 3% of GDP per year to address a problem they are hardly contributing to.

‘Climate finance’ and ‘loss and damage financing’ are tipped to be central topics at the international summit.

Climate finance is where developed countries give money to developing nations to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change. Loss and damage funding is where developed countries provide reparations to developing nations for climate change inflicted adversities they face. That could include the economic impacts on livelihoods and property, and non-economic losses such as the deaths of humans and biodiversity.

Why G20 matters

The 17th Group of Twenty (G20) Heads of State and Government Summit will be held in Bali on November 15 and 16. It’s another opportunity for the world’s major economies to help less developed countries overcome challenges through coordinated international policies. This year’s theme is “Recover Together, Recover Stronger” with the three main pillars being Global Health Architecture, Sustainable Energy Transition and Digital Transformation.

Developing nations such as Somalia should be considered when participating nations work on these pillars. For example, the path to global recovery should be one that ensures equality of health standards and resilience no matter where someone is living. The sustainability of trading agreements for essential food to the Horn of Africa must also be discussed.

What Australia should do at the meetings

The Australian Government should be a world leader in its advocacy and support to Somalia. Australia has made an initial contribution of $15 million to the Horn of Africa and Yemen. However, as Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, ‘the global food security crisis in increasingly grave’.

Australia’s leaders can showcase our nation as a good global citizen on the world stage and respond to the gravity of this crisis by:

• As an immediate measure, announcing $150 million in emergency relief to help the worst-affected hunger hotspots, including Somalia. This famine protection package would pay for things like urgent cash payouts, which would ultimately save lives by averting a famine.
• Boosting long-term investments to developing countries including through a Global Food Security Strategy, designed to tackle the root causes of the international hunger crisis and prepare for the impacts of climate change.
• Re-engaging with global financing mechanisms that support the goals of the Paris Agreement and prioritise direct access to that finance for developing countries and communities.
• Taking the lead on discussions when it comes to developing and implementing coordinated policy and investments that affect Somalia, such as new financing for loss and damage compensation, and increasing our international climate finance to meet our fair share of the global promise of $100 billion per year in climate financing to developing countries.

Quotes from Help Fight Famine

Help Fight Famine is a broad coalition of Australia’s leading aid and development organisations that is calling for Australia to step up at COP27 and G20.

Quotes attributable to Help Fight Famine spokesperson and Micah executive director Reverend Tim Costello:

“November is the last great chance to prevent hundreds of thousands of children in the Horn of Africa starving to death. The world must act at COP27 and G20, and Australia must not avert its eyes.

“The looming famine in Somalia is an unfolding global humanitarian catastrophe and it’s happening on the watch of rich nations.

“Somalia is bearing the brunt of the climate crisis yet it’s contributing a tiny share of the globe’s greenhouse gas emissions. It’s unjust and unacceptable. Developed countries, which are our biggest polluters, should take responsibility by compensating and supporting our vulnerable countries.”

Susanne Legena, CEO, Plan International Australia:

“These global summits, both COP27 and G20, are meetings of hope that can save lives. Australia has a moral obligation to lead the world with its investments and conversations.

“Every day, we are hearing absolutely devastating accounts from our colleagues and friends in these hunger hotspots, incredible people who are dedicating their lives to help stop this crisis. Parents have to make the painful decision to marry their 14-year-old daughters because they have no other option left to put food on the table. Desperate mothers bringing terribly sick children to malnutrition clinics. Nothing is more painful than for a mother to watch helplessly as her child is starving.

“The warning bells are ringing loudly. Once a famine is declared, it’s too late.”

Jessica Mackenzie, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Australian Council for International Development:

“There is an intractable connection between climate change and famine. As a wealthy industrialised emitter, Australia has a responsibility to be part of the solution.

“Australia should deliver an urgent response for famine prevention of $150 million in critical hunger spots including the Horn of Africa, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan that reaches those most in need.

“Climate change is already affecting food insecurity. Changing rainfall patterns, extreme weather events, increased pests and diseases and changes in soil moisture and nutrient levels will make food security an even bigger challenge. We need to invest big now to prepare communities and food systems for the future.”