Almost four million Malawians are battling severe famine due to poor or no harvests because of the effect of El Nino, which last year affected most of the country’s southern and northern regions. The numbers of those starving could double by the end of the year.

Millions of Ethiopians are facing famine again, which is attributed to drought but in reality has its roots in the country’s failed governance. In this poem, an Ethiopian in the diaspora turns his mind to the situation of women and children in the current crisis.