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24 June 2002
WV president Dean Hirsch's letters to World Bank president, James
Wolfensohn and IMF executive director, Horst Kohler.
Last month, World Vision International began planning a full-scale relief
effort in response to the critical shortage of food in several southern
African nations. As you know, the World Food Programme estimates that
at least 13 million people need food aid over the next six months. Without
aid, large-scale starvation will occur throughout the region.
Three of the six southern African nations requiring food assistance are
participants in the Heavily-Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) initiative.
Under HIPC, Mozambique pays an affordable $8 million (US) in annual debt
service to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Yet, despite
HIPC, Zambia and Malawi -- both of whose governments have declared national
food emergencies -- continue to be saddled with onerous debt
payments. Zambia is expected to pay $79 million in debt service this year
while Malawi is expected to pay $20 million.
Overall, the World Bank, the IMF and creditor nations are demanding $248
million in annual debt repayment from the six southern African nations
now facing a famine. This is more than three and half times the value
of food aid needed to prevent the famine.
The children of Zambia, Malawi and other poor African nations already
pay a heavy price for servicing national debts often run-up by corrupt
and unrepresentative governments. They forgo adequate nutrition, education,
health care, and economic opportunity. We cannot now ask them to starve
to death so that debts to wealthy nations and international lending institutions
will be repaid. In fact, Malawi President Bakili Muluzi alleges that his
country was advised to sell grain reserves in order to meet debt payments.
Speaking for the World Vision Partnership, I urge you to place an immediate
moratorium on further debt payments by Malawi, Zambia and the other poor
nations affected by the food crisis in southern Africa.
Furthermore, I suggest that the World Bank and the IMF help ensure that
resources released by debt relief be committed to poverty alleviation
through the internationally accepted Poverty Reduction Strategies developed
by each country.
Thank you for considering measures that can save countless lives.
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