Jamaica's champions and Africa's famine

Now that the 13th World Championships in Athletics held in Daegu, South Korea, are over, and the black, green and gold has once again been hoisted high on the global stage, I can finally return to my regularly scheduled sleep pattern. Jermaine Gonzales and the Jamaican team can return to their regular eating patterns.

After finishing fourth in the 400 metres, Gonz complained about the poor food selection in the athletes' village. It appears that someone must have heard his complaint and fed him some of what Usain Bolt has been eating for the past few years. Days after airing his grievance, Gonz ran a scorching second leg that propelled Jamaica to the 4x400m relay bronze - one of nine medals won by our country. From Veronica Campbell-Brown claiming her first Worlds 200m gold, to Usain's bold rebound from adversity, and Yohan Blake storming the world stage, our athletes displayed the true, champion hearts of Jamaicans.

As exciting as the World Championships was, Somalis weren't likely watching. They certainly weren't complaining about the suitability of the food - they hardly have any. The eastern Horn of Africa is in the grips of the worst drought in 60 years. The resulting food crisis and famine is the worst in a generation.

More than 12 million people are in desperate need of assistance. Almost half of Somalia's population - nearly three million people - is in a state of crisis. Parts of Kenya and Ethiopia are in dire need as well. In the past three months, 29,000 children under the age of five have starved to death. Approximately 640,000 are severely malnourished and face imminent death.

Jamaicans, despite our food-security concerns, will likely never feel the sting of death by starvation. As the body is initially starved of nutrients, it preserves glucose by breaking down glycogen from the liver. After several hours, the liver's supply of stored glycogen is depleted and the body begins to break down protein and fats for energy.

The breakdown of fats produces compounds called ketone bodies, which provide organs with energy and preserve glucose in the brain. As fat sources are exhausted, the body turns exclusively to protein sources for energy - muscle being the primary source. It is during this phase of starvation that muscle deteriorates and the starved body becomes mere skin and bones. As muscle is completely depleted, protein is sucked from vital organs, resulting in their failure and, ultimately, human death.

Death by starvation, which can take months (less for children - especially malnourished children - who have leaner bodies that are more susceptible to infections and other complications), is a deplorable way to exit this world.

Food shortage very solvable

Famine, in the 21st century, is completely preventable. The solution is simple. Unlike AIDS, cancer, malaria or any other number of infirmities, all that is required to save a person from death by starvation is food. That is why famine has been virtually unseen across the globe in the past 30 years, as globalisation has brought better food production and distribution methods to all corners of the world.

To exist, famine requires a perfect storm of collapsed food production - usually as a result of war or natural disaster - and inadequate infrastructure for distribution of food supplies. In some cases, famine is instigated by deliberate acts of warring factions intent on disrupting food supplies to unfriendly areas. Somalia, with its collapsed central government, severe drought, warring clans, and terrorist presence, provides the perfect environment for this type of tragedy.

Irrespective of the causes, an estimated 2,500 children will die each day as a result of this famine. The United Nations has projected that it needs US$2.5 billion to tackle the problem. It has received about US$1 billion. This is a massive humanitarian crisis that requires the help of the entire global community.

We are a relatively poor country. But, as our athletes showed the world, what we lack in material wealth we make up for in sheer determination. The 'I'm Gonna Be Your Friend' campaign leverages the global strength of one of our most famous sons - Bob Marley - creating perhaps the most successful awareness effort for this tragedy, to date.

Perhaps our athletes, entertainers, corporations, Government and even ordinary Jamaicans might come together to make a meaningful contribution to help resolve this crisis. Let's show the world another side of the champion hearts of Jamaicans.

For a list of organisations to which you can contribute, visit: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43841708/ns/nightly_news/t/famine-horn-afric...

Din Duggan is an attorney working as a consultant with a global legal search firm. Email him at columns@gleanerjm.com or dinduggan@gmail.com or view his past columns at facebook.com/dinduggan and twitter.com/YoungDuggan.