Drought my be an act of nature, but famine is not. The current crisis in the Horn of Africa is a man-made disaster that could have been avoided. But we don't have the necessary political will to stop the starving - and its causes. As a consequence, millions are affected and tens of thousands of children have died.
Communities in Africa can cope with droughts and natural disasters. But we need leaders to invest in early warning systems and safety net programmes to help people become resilient to these hazards. And we need donors to put resources toward better seeds, irrigation and sustainable farming education. By acting now, we can help 200 million people from poor farming families grow more food and raise their incomes.
When world leaders meet at the Group of 20 (G20) Summit in November, they have the opportunity to break the cycle of famine. Ask your leaders to keep the promises they made to the 2 billion poor people who depend on farming for their livelihoods.
