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18.01.2017 | Press Release

Marshall plan with Africa – A step in the right direction

Welthungerhilfe welcomes desire for cooperation

Farmers are working on a field in Ruanda.
Smallholder farmers in Rwanda. Most people suffering from hunger live in rural areas, despite the fact that the majority of food is produced there. © Daniel Pilar
Simone Pott Team Communications

Welthungerhilfe welcomes many of the statements of the new plan, with which Federal Minister Müller is aiming to renew the European partnership with Africa. “We very much welcome the fact that the paper finally describes openly the challenges being generated throughout Europe, such as the lack of political participation, tax evasion and trade barriers. We experience many of these circumstances on a daily basis in our work. The paper is influenced by a genuine desire for cooperation. We need this, because the majority of the countries with a serious hunger situation lie in sub-Saharan Africa,” says Bärbel Dieckmann, Welthungerhilfe president.

It is correct that economic development opportunities are good in stable states. Beyond that, however, many countries are characterised by military conflicts and political instability. “Welthungerhilfe works in many countries where we know that economic promotion alone will be insufficient to overcome the hunger and inequality. Without the simultaneous development of social security systems, the economic development of Africa will be of little benefit to poor people.

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This also means that jobs must be created in rural areas where most of the hungry live, and where there are few prospects for young people. In particular, we are missing any statements about how the Federal Government wants to deal with the so-called failed states. Marginalisation of these countries would destabilise them further and would be at the expense of the poorest people. They particularly need continuing stable financial support,” emphasises Dieckmann.

Welthungerhilfe will participate intensively in the discussion, as these ideas can be translated into a concrete action framework.

Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organisations in Germany; politically independent and non-denominational. It is fighting for ‘Zero Hunger by 2030’. Since its establishment, more than 8,500 overseas projects in 70 countries have been supported with 3.27 billion euros. Welthungerhilfe works on the basic principle of empowering people to help themselves: from rapid disaster relief to reconstruction and long-term development cooperation projects with national and international partner organisations.

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