The weather has been unbearable lately and the conditions have become deadly. No, I'm not talking about the high winds and heat wave we've been experiencing in North America; I'm talking about the Horn of Africa, which is suffering their worst drought in 60 years.
Tens of thousands of Somalis have already died in what's being called the worst hunger emergency in a generation. Drought, conflict and poverty have now combined to produce the necessary conditions for famine.
The UN says that $1.6 billion is required immediately to deal with this crisis. Over 11 million people already need humanitarian aid and more than two million children, one in three, are malnourished and in need of lifesaving action.
Officials are already comparing the situation in Somalia to Ethiopia in 1984, when famine and drought swept the country, killing over one million people. But the developed countries of the world are not exactly jumping out of their seats to offer aid.
And why? Well, maybe because the major players are too busy dealing with their own emergencies.
Much of North America is dealing with a heat wave. Some experts are calling it the worst in five years. Several States have declared excessive heat advisories, fearing that their vulnerable residents may die of exposure.
The U.S. has committed $28 million to the immediate life-saving effort in Africa, which is about a quarter of what they spend on military action in Libya each day.
Eastern Canada is dealing with over 100 wild fires that are raging across northern Ontario. Some 2,000 fire fighters have been deployed.
International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda has pledged $22 million on Canada's behalf. A fraction of what our country spent over a 72-hour period while hosting the G8 and G20 conferences - a billion dollar undertaking.
The European Union is cautiously watching the declining Euro and many countries are reluctant to fork over dollars. After all, Britain recently held a pricey royal wedding for $34 million. Thankfully, they are giving more than that to feed starving Africans.
Certainly, we must deal with our own hardships first, but as one of the richest countries in the world it is our duty to help save thousands of people from starvation, isn't it?
No one wants another Ethiopia on their conscience and hopefully the affluent countries of the world will step up their contributions before it's too late.
We could, however, do with another multi-musician "Do they know it's Christmas?" album like Band Aid did in 1985. I love that song! And it raised $8 million for Ethiopia. In fact, that song inspired the worldwide rock concert, Live Aid, which raised $125 million for famine relief. I guess rock fans are more generous than the world's superpowers.
