One good harvest not enough to end humanitarian crises

The humanitarian and development challenges facing Southern Africa are not going to be countered by one good harvest, says James Morris, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Humanitarian Needs.

During his five-day visit to Mozambique, South Africa and Malawi, Morris said although recent good rainfall could mean better agricultural production in some countries, "many millions of people will face extreme difficulties even if there are better harvests this year".

"A better harvest will not reduce HIV/AIDS rates, or provide education or supply clean water to an orphaned child, or ensure kids get vaccinated against simple childhood diseases. The humanitarian sector and donors all need to focus on the broader and deeper issues facing the region, regardless of what happens with the next harvests," he observed.

Dr Eddie Maloka of The Africa Institute in Pretoria, South Africa, told IRIN that Morris was correct in pointing out the need for long-term solutions to the region's humanitarian crises.

Of particular concern was the impact political instability and weak government capacity was having on the ability of some administrations to meet the needs of their people. Maloka cited Malawi and Zimbabwe as examples of this, as both countries have experienced serious food security problems coupled with political instability.

"In the case of Malawi, for example, if you have a ruling party or section of the ruling elite at war within parliament and also with the highest office in the country, and consequently have a president who is fighting for survival, politically, for half his term - then the capacity of government to function is hampered," Maloka noted.

President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi faced an impeachment bid for several months before the motion was withdrawn in late January this year. A group of influential donors even protested the impeachment motion as a diversion at a time when Malawi was facing its worst drought in a decade.

"Political instability affects the capacity and ability of the state to deliver: the government is focussed then on its own survival rather than on its core business. This also applies in the case of Zimbabwe," Maloka explained.

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has been fighting off a political challenge from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) over the last few years, while the country's agricultural sector has been ravaged by the effects of the controversial fast-track land reform programme, the impact of HIV/AIDS and erratic weather.

However, Maloka commented that "even in instances where you have strong democratic and governance cultures, where there's a lack of state capacity, then there's a problem. You still need to inject capacity to enable these states to move to a certain level of self-reliance".