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Jump to Chapter 5 Sections:
>> Humanitarian aid in the 1990's >> New humanitarian actors >> Innovations, failures and the crisis in humanitarian aid >> Evolving practices and future changes >> Looking ahead >> Background paper >> References
Five principles for addressing famine (Box 5.1)
The U.S. government bases its policies to address famine on five core principles:
A hungry child knows no politics. Food aid will
not be used as an instrument of diplomacy in a
nutritional emergency.
Target the vulnerable. Immediate responses include food aid to targeted populations.
Companion responses are general immunization of children under 5, water and sanitation
interventions, equitable market interventions to stabilize skyrocketing prices, and heightened
attention to the most vulnerable, such as the landless poor and women-led households. Interventions to support livelihoods and coping systems are also undertaken by targeting families living in poor, vulnerable areas.
Develop local capacity and support livelihoods. U.S. food aid programs develop local capacities in famine prevention, mitigation, and preparedness so that famine-prone countries can
withstand episodic shocks without international help. Some immediate actions can be adjusting agriculture and livestock practices (planting alternative famine crops, improved pastoral practices), building food stocks (better post-harvest storage practices, lending programs for purchase of food) and changing food habits (identifying and harvesting wild
foods).
Make early warning information available. U.S. policy is to build commitment among senior
political leaders in affected countries and to disseminate information to help communities
respond to early signs of conflict and famine. This is done by connecting early warning systems to the political system and to decisionmakers. Incentives are also provided for affected governments to take more responsibility for reducing vulnerability and the likelihood of future emergencies.
Transparent accountability. Democratic systems of government are the most effective measures
to reduce the risk of famine. And as Nobel economics laureate Amartya Sen has noted, no country with a free press has had a famine. One common characteristic of famines is an authoritarian system of government. Famines are not identified with democracies. That is why democratic government, transparency, and accountability are priorities for the U.S. government effort to stop or avert famines.
Source: USAID Staff
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Thus needs for humanitarian assistance show no signs of abating. Moreover, new dimensions of
disasters will create new exigencies. These trends indicate an even larger, more complex role for
humanitarian aid in the next few decades. The United States-the last remaining superpower with truly global reach-has a crucial role in addressing today’s challenges and shaping future trends in disaster assistance.
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