Sudão do Sul: milhões poderão morrer à fome

A staggering 3.7 million people, roughly one-third of the population, are facing starvation in South Sudan, where a civil war has created a humanitarian catastrophe. But many countries have ignored or given short shrift to the United Nations’ urgent appeal for aid. They must do better. Of the $1.27 billion the United Nations has requested for 2014, only $385 million has been received. Officials say South Sudan needs $230 million more in the next 60 days to avoid the worst starvation in Africa since the 1980s, when hundreds of thousands perished in Ethiopia. Along with food and water, seeds and farming tools are needed so crops can be planted before the end of May when rains bring the planting season to an end. This should not be happening. Over two years ago, when South Sudan declared independence from Sudan, everyone knew the struggle to build a functioning state would be long and hard. But the new country had important supporters, including the United States, which strongly advocated its independence, gave considerable aid and was ready to work with South Sudan’s leaders as they moved forward and tried to resolve disputes with Sudan over borders and oil resources, which seemed to be the main challenges. Since December, however, the more pernicious threat to stability has been homegrown. That is when a political rivalry between South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir of the Dinka tribe, and Riek Machar, the former vice president and a Nuer, erupted into violence. Thousands of people have been killed and one million have been forced to flee their homes. The United Nations has accused both sides of mass atrocities. On Thursday, President Obama took an important step by issuing an executive order that allows the imposition of sanctions on South Sudanese officials and opposition leaders viewed as a threat to peace. Other humanitarian disasters, including Syria’s, are taxing many countries. But let’s face it, it is usually the same donors (the West and Japan) who can be counted on to respond to emergency appeals. In 2013 and 2014, for instance, America has funneled $411 million in humanitarian aid to South Sudan. China and Russia, the second- and eighth-largest economies, hardly ever appear on these lists. They should join the rest of the world in making sure that South Sudan’s people have enough to eat. It would be unspeakably tragic if they gained their independence only to starve to death at the hands of their leaders. The New York Times