Food Insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa and implication to US National Security - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... In this regard, the Sub-Saharan Africa is the most hit by conflicts that can be associated with food insecurity. The conflicts that often emerge because of food insecurity tend to destroy local economies. As a result, there is forced migration, creation of refugee populations, emergent of diseases such as cholera and the collapse of social institutions. In Sub-Saharan Africa, food insecurity has contributed to civil wars, communal conflicts, and democratic breakdowns1. Where there is a conflict, other issues prop up, and they influence how people express their discontent with the lack of food security. Such factors are context specific and include demographic, social, political and economic factors. As a region that is still developing, the Sub-Saharan Africa relies on the Western countries for support to improve their institutions. In this regard, a major developed country that plays a key role in promoting social, political and economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa is the United States. However, as the problem of food insecurity continues to persist in the region, the United States finds itself involved in solving African conflicts2. As a result, it is plausible for food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa to have an implication on United States national security and the military respectively.
In most Sub-Saharan Africa countries, food insecurity is a major issue and is often a result of scarce resources such as water and land. In the search for these scarce commodities, communal conflicts often emerge and can escalate to a civil war particular when the government supports one warring faction in the conflict. An example in this sense is the Darfur conflict that escalated into a civil war and displaced millions. Further, an increase in food prices creates conflict because, high food prices erode real income and the affected in extreme cases, are driven to drastic measures that include ...Download file to see next pagesRead More