Famine Starvation Malnutrition in Africa What is a

Famine, Starvation, & Malnutrition in Africa

What is a Famine? • A severe shortage of food, generally affecting a large area and large numbers of people.

Famines leads to Malnutrition and Starvation • Malnutrition is when a person is not eating enough calories or not eating the right (healthy) kinds of foods. • Starvation is severe malnutrition and the person is in danger of dying.

But what does a famine look like?

This child is being checked for malnutrition with a MUAC bracelet

Human causes of Famine • Wars & Civil Wars • Displacement & Refugees • Deliberate crop destruction

Environmental causes of Famine • • • Drought / lack of rain Floods Earthquakes Insect plagues Plant Disease

Who is most at risk to die during a Famine? • • • Mostly children under two Young Children or adolescents Pregnant or nursing mothers Elderly Chronically ill

So what’s being done about it? • Organizations like Doctors Without Borders, the UN, UNICEF, WHO, and other countries are working to relieve famine in Africa.

Women get in line at 6 am to receive food from “Doctors Without Borders”

Others pass out bags of food to hungry people

MSF and Plumpy’Doz • Plumpy’Doz is a ready-to-eat food give out by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) • Children under the age of three get three tablespoons • There is also Plumpy’nut – a therapeutic food to help malnourished children

This girl eats Plumpy’nut

This women receives a months worth of Plumpy’Doz

This child is gaining weight do to the aid he receives from MSF

Take a moment to reflect on the images of suffering you have seen. Now answer the following question: What can be done to ease the suffering of starving Africans?