The Guardian: Feed the starving? Guns are the true cause of hunger and famine
Simon O’Connell, executive director of Mercy Corps’ European entity and senior vice president for global partnerships

“…In South Sudan, as in Somalia, Nigeria, and Yemen, it is not a lack of food that creates famine. Crises exist because of violence and conflict. They don’t need more food, they need investment into conflict prevention and the stability that brings. … Addressing the root causes of conflict and building resilience to crisis is difficult and complicated. But organizations like Mercy Corps are constantly developing better ways to promote peace-building and conflict prevention, particularly at [the] community level. … Once a community is in the grip of famine it needs assistance, and fast. These responses save lives. But unless we take time to understand and support long-term approaches like conflict prevention and peace-building, we will continue to find ourselves wrestling with protracted crises, forced migration, and the associated security issues that affect everyone of us” (4/6).