The 1983 famine in Ghana was a severe crisis caused by a combination of drought, economic hardship, and the sudden return of over one million Ghanaians who had been expelled from Nigeria. The drought led to widespread crop failures, causing food shortages across the country. The return of the expelled Ghanaians worsened the situation, as the increased population placed additional pressure on already scarce food supplies.[1]
At the same time, Ghana was facing significant economic problems, including inflation and a decline in the price of cocoa, its main export. These issues made it difficult for the government to respond effectively to the famine. Many Ghanaians struggled to find enough food, and international aid was needed to help alleviate the crisis. The famine had long-term effects on the country, highlighting the need for better agricultural planning and economic stability.[2]
References
edit- ^ Ghana - Food Shortage (PDF). Office of the U.S Foreign Disaster Assistance (Report). Disaster Case Report. United States Agency for International Development. 19 October 1983. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2017.
- ^ Gyan-Apenten, Kwesi (13 May 2013). "Lest We Forget – 1983 - Thirty Years Ago". GhanaWeb. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024.
Further reading
edit- Ampaabeng, Samuel K.; Tan, Chih Ming (2013). "The long-term cognitive consequences of early childhood malnutrition: The case of famine in Ghana" (PDF). Journal of Health Economics. 32 (6): 1013–1027. doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2013.08.001. PMID 24103497.
- Dei, George J. S. (1988). "Coping with the effects of the 1982-83 drought in Ghana the view from the village". Africa Development / Afrique et Développement. 13 (1): 107–122. JSTOR 24486648.
- Derrick, Jonathan (1984). "West Africa's Worst Year of Famine". African Affairs. 83 (332): 281–299. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a097620. JSTOR 722349.
- Ofori-Sarpong, E. (1986). "The 1981–1983 Drought in Ghana". Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography. 7 (2): 108–127. Bibcode:1986SJTG....7..108O. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9493.1986.tb00176.x.
- Tan, Chih Ming; Rockmore, Marc (2019). "Famine in Ghana and Its Impact". Handbook of Famine, Starvation, and Nutrient Deprivation. pp. 31–45. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-55387-0_95. ISBN 978-3-319-55386-3.