S. Sudan: Is another famine of 1998 being allow again?

By Santino Atem Deng

Jan 27, 2007 — Allowing another 1998 will be a very grave mistake and shameful as the government of Southern Sudan is capable to address the issue before it get worse.
The Sudanese famine of 1998 to 2000 was created and extended by environmental conditions in addition to political, social, and economic issues within the country’s complicated infrastructure. Our government either central or Southern Sudan should consider and tries to find some ways of feeding the needy, so that another 1998 is avoided before the next coming Months. The 1998 should gain an insight into future ways we can address such problems and alleviate human suffering in future famines in Sudan and the whole world.

In order to discuss the Sudanese famine that took place at the end of the twentieth century, we must first understand both the natural causes and the changing political and social climates that exacerbated the already unpleasant environmental conditions of this struggling nation. While there were some natural changes involved in the Sudanese famine, the representatives of the human rights watch believe the overall devastation that enveloped the country was “a product of human action”. Over the last century Sudan has been grappling with issues of post-colonialism and national identity which have expressed themselves in both religious and political avenues. The changes in government structure and obvious religious divisions involving extreme Islamic sects contributed to an unstable Sudan prior to any changes in the physical environment.

However, the natural element of the famine was also a two year drought due to the strange global weather conditions caused by the El Nino phenomenon. These weather conditions were enough to put a strain on the agriculture and trade of the Sudan, while at the same time contributing to the incitement of ethnic and religious competition. The Sudanese had already experienced similar situations when previous famines during the late 1980s left hundreds of thousands of people dead. More specifically, the ongoing civil war between Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) and the official government of the country had “wrecked the region’s limited infrastructure, making it difficult or impossible” for other nations and charitable organizations to deliver free food and supplies to the starving people. The famine in Sudan was further complicated by not only rebellion, but also by overall central government corruption. The government in Northern Sudan was seeking to establish an Islamic theocracy, and they were committing genocide in the southern parts of the country to ensure their success. These tragedies were an element of political and social oppression that forced many Christian and Animist Sudanese families to live in fear of these radicals while trying to function with little food or water.

This destructed infrastructure forced aid organizations to drop food and supplies from the air and then slowly distribute them by driving through the ill maintained country. These efforts were successful in bringing food into the country; however thievery and political corruption still managed to concentrate the majority of the resources in certain people’s hands. Some foreign volunteers, such as Dr. Susan Nagele, were able to make a difference by bringing food and medical care to the much needy displaced people. Despite the efforts of many foreigners to lessen the political turmoil and wide spread starvation, the Sudanese famine of 1998-2000 was sadly too complicated a situation to be completely solved by international aid.

There are several fundamental lessons that can be learned from reviewing the components of this famine and the international response surrounding it. The main ingredient in this situation was political and social upheaval. These elements need to be addressed with the same efforts as administering food and other aid in the country. The global community needs to begin addressing these root problems in order to make their multimillion dollar aid drops more effective. By attempting to make agreements allowing for the even distribution of aid, western nations and particularly central and Southern Sudan government can fight a smarter battle against these types of disasters to avoid the 1980s and 1998 famine occurring again in the year 2007.

It is also the role of our government to make sure that there are no more disruptions that is uprooting the civilians from their home and land and prevents them from doing their farming and agriculture, especially during the rainy season. Clear consequences are also needed against the Cattle-raiders and to bring an end to tribal clashes, this will help to alleviate and avoid any future famine.

* The author is the Deputy SPLM Representative in New Zealand. He can be reached at [email protected]