Sanitat i salut

Against hunger and food insecurity

posted 14/05/2012 at 09:09 h.

The Palau Robert's Les Cotxeres hall is holding an exhibition entitled Alerta fam, prevenim-la!, which is intended to raise awareness of the malnutrition and food insecurity afflicting the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. It is part of an awareness campaign that includes fringe activities, concerts and talks.

The Catalan Committee for Emergency Humanitarian Aid (CCAHE), the Catalan authorities and civil society's coordination space for emergency situations, has launched an awareness campaign on the problems of food insecurity affecting the regions of the Horn of Africa and the Sahel.

Hence the exhibition entitled Alerta fam, prevenim-la! that has been organised and which is showing at the Les Cotxeres hall at the Palau Robert until 30 July. It aims to raise awareness among city residents of the drama the food crisis has unleashed in extensive areas on the African continent.

The Council is raising the profile of this campaign through BCN Espai, a freely given expression space to publicise solidarity, cultural and social activities and initiatives.

Numerous fringe activities have been planned in addition to the exhibition, such as talks, concerts and discussions in connection with humanitarian initiatives.

As for the activities, it has been confirmed for now that the group M'Bore will be giving a solidarity concert.

There will also be specific technical sessions at the Palau Robert on 7 June and 4 July, which be open to the public, on water-related problems in these countries and food security, as well as NGO funding.

What is more, the Palau Robert will also be offering a performance of the musical Gotes de colors, on 14 July. The work is aimed at a child audience and deals with the issue of the importance of water.

Malnutrition

The crisis situation started in the Horn of Africa in the summer of 2011, affecting more than thirteen million people in such countries as Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. By the start of the year it began to appear in the Sahel belt region made up of Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, South Sudan and Cameroon.

Both cases saw humanitarian crises unleashed after serious droughts, leading to a decline in harvests and a consequent scarcity of agricultural products. But there are numerous factors that are having an effect here, such as food speculation, health problems and armed conflicts that have been destabilising these areas and causing massive population movements.