War could divert attention from regional crisis

A possible war against Iraq could divert attention from the many humanitarian crisis in Southern Africa, aid groups warned on Thursday. "Certainly there are issues in Iraq which have to be dealt with but this should not divert attention from other important crises in Africa. Already this preoccupation with affairs in the Middle East has resulted in very little being said about severe food shortages in the Horn of Africa and in Southern Africa," Tearfund's International Operations Director Ian Wallace told IRIN. Tearfund is a developmental organisation which supports community-driven projects in several developing countries across the world. "The international aid community is close to breaking point. The limited resources they have are already stretched. A war in Iraq is likely to cause yet another humanitarian crisis, which will severly undermine the ability of aid groups to deal with multiple emergencies across the the world," Wallace added. Tearfund partners in Southern Africa, too, expressed concern that the region would be forgotten in the wake of a conflict in the Gulf. About 15 million people across Southern Africa need food aid to survive. Drought, flooding, HIV/AIDS and poor governance have combined to cause the region's worst food crisis in recent years. "There is already limited funds for relief work as it is. We are concerned that a war in Iraq could further exacerbate the current situation," said programme officer Richard Lister for Tearfund partner Emmanuel International in Malawi. Malawi is one of the countries most affected by the current food shortages. "Although we cannot say for sure, the predictions for this year's harvest in Malawi are not good which means agencies will have to extend their operations. Also, while there might be sufficient funds for relief work, funding for long term development is critical. Like most countries in the region, to tackle the root causes of the problems requires a sustained effort. This means continued support from the donors. We can only hope that the crisis in the region stays on the international agenda," he added. Both the US and Britain, spearheading the campaign against Iraq, provide most of the funding for humanitarian work in Southern Africa and the rest of the continent.