1998 Sudan famine
Encyclopedia
The famine in Sudan in 1998 was a humanitarian disaster caused mainly by human rights
abuses, as well as drought
and the failure of the international community
to react to the famine
risk with adequate speed. The worst affected area was Bahr El Ghazal
in southwestern Sudan
. In this region over 70,000 people died during the famine.
in Southern Sudan. Despite the Sudanese government's claims that only the rebel groups were to blame, Human Rights Watch
blamed the following groups:
The government and Kuanyin Bol are blamed for their role in destroying the local agriculture during their attempt to take the city of Wau
. The SPLA are blamed for their maintenance of slavery
and pilfering of aid.
This was worsened by the late arrival of the rainy season and a failure to respond to the situation by the international community.
Effects on the country included - indirectly- famine as expenditure was concentrated on the materials of war, ie weaponry, medical supplies etc, rather than the assistance of agriculture and farming. The situation in Darfur was compounded by a lack of strong government intervention, with the Muslim government in the North failing to cooperate with the Christian government in the South.
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
abuses, as well as drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
and the failure of the international community
International community
The international community is a term used in international relations to refer to all peoples, cultures and governments of the world or to a group of them. The term is used to imply the existence of common duties and obligations between them...
to react to the famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
risk with adequate speed. The worst affected area was Bahr El Ghazal
Bahr el Ghazal
The Bahr el Ghazal is a region of western South Sudan. Its name comes from the river Bahr el Ghazal.- Geography :The region consists of the states of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Lakes, and Warrap. It borders Central African Republic to the west...
in southwestern Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. In this region over 70,000 people died during the famine.
Causes
The famine was caused almost entirely by human rights abuse and the warSecond Sudanese Civil War
The Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile by the end of the 1980s....
in Southern Sudan. Despite the Sudanese government's claims that only the rebel groups were to blame, Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
blamed the following groups:
- The government of Sudan
- The BaggaraBaggaraThe Baggāra Arabs are a set of communities inhabiting the portion of Africa's Sahel between Lake Chad and southern Kordofan, numbering over one million. They have a common language which is one of the regional colloquial Arabic languages...
militia - Sudan People's Liberation ArmySudan People's Liberation ArmyThe Sudan People's Liberation Movement is a political party in South Sudan. It was initially founded as a rebel political movement with a military wing known as the Sudan People's Liberation Army estimated at 180,000 soldiers. The SPLM fought in the Second Sudanese Civil War against the Sudanese...
- DinkaDinkaThe Dinka is an ethnic group inhabiting the Bahr el Ghazal region of the Nile basin, Jonglei and parts of southern Kordufan and Upper Nile regions. They are mainly agro-pastoral people, relying on cattle herding at riverside camps in the dry season and growing millet and other varieties of grains ...
warlord Kerubino Kuanyin Bol - The Darfur War
The government and Kuanyin Bol are blamed for their role in destroying the local agriculture during their attempt to take the city of Wau
Wau, Sudan
Wau is a city in South Sudan.-Location:It lies on the western bank of the Jur River, in Wau County, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, in northwestern South Sudan. Its location lies approximately , northwest of Juba, the capital and largest city in that country...
. The SPLA are blamed for their maintenance of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
and pilfering of aid.
This was worsened by the late arrival of the rainy season and a failure to respond to the situation by the international community.
Effects
The effects on the region were massive, with the excess mortality estimated at about 70 000 people. Many more are thought to have been displaced, with over 72 000 people reported as migrating from the threatened rural zones to Wau alone from May 1998 to August 1998.Effects on the country included - indirectly- famine as expenditure was concentrated on the materials of war, ie weaponry, medical supplies etc, rather than the assistance of agriculture and farming. The situation in Darfur was compounded by a lack of strong government intervention, with the Muslim government in the North failing to cooperate with the Christian government in the South.