Famine stares Horn of Africa in the face

With the Arab Spring sweeping North Africa and the Middle East, phone-hacking scandals and economic crises dominating the airwaves, it's easy to forget the biggest need of all — food and survival.

But today, there are tens of thousands of people living in the Horn of Africa who face the threat of hunger, starvation and famine.

Despite all of our advances, our technologies, our fiscal wealth, our preoccupation with our busy daily lives, we have still not yet managed to conquer the threat of famine.

Having enough food and water daily, and having a stable source of food for the future, is the most basic right of human survival.

Somalia, long troubled by tribal division and the failure of any central government to provide for its people, is on the verge of catastrophe.

Ethiopia, itself racked by devastating famines which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives nearly 30 years ago, is struggling to overcome drought and poor crops. And Kenya is struggling to cope with the influx of tens of thousands of ragged, starving people with no food and little hope.

When war beckons, we are quick to assemble forces, marshal troops and solve logistical problems.

But when the spectre of mass hunger, disease and death comes calling, there is a slow and agonisingly painful response of governments who have other issues topping their agendas.

Aid agencies and NGOs struggle to cope with the destitute, the sick and the starving.

While political troubles and fighting have added to the sorry state of those in the Horn of Africa, now is not the time for using international aid as a weapon itself. Bags of maize have no morals, simply the ability to put food in the bellies of those who need it most.

A concerted international effort is needed now to avoid a terrible tragedy unfolding before our eyes.