IFRC: 'War, poverty, HIV' and hope

Juan Manuel Suez del Toro, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Humanitarian organizations seeking funds for relief operations in Africa face an acute dilemma. If we stress the suffering of Africans who lack food or health care, who struggle against floods, drought and possibly famine, who flee war and communal violence, we risk reinforcing the image of Africa as a "basket case", beyond help. If we take the purely positive approach, the donors - whose resources are scarce and with the global financial crisis becoming more so - are unlikely to respond.

Hunger again stalks parts of Ethiopia while the food-security situation in Zimbabwe is widely regarded as the worst ever. Both countries are the focus of major - but so far poorly covered - appeals for funding by the Red Cross Red Crescent¹. In 2008 conflict simmered in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and Darfur and flared anew in Burundi, Chad and Mali; there was serious communal violence in Ghana and South Africa - all reported in the western media, which also picked up on other "negative" stories like piracy in Somali and Nigerian waters, the persecution of albinos, and xenophopic violence.

But has this depressing portrayal of Africa as a "chamber of horrors" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, smothering the good news that also exists in increasing quantities? Is it now, in itself, an obstacle to progress, making the world turn away from Africa in despair? It's far too early to say HIV in Africa is beaten, but could it have peaked?

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