Eli5 Why is there still a famine in Africa despite the fact that they have been receiving foreign aid for decades?

Question

Eli5 Why is there still a famine in Africa despite the fact that they have been receiving foreign aid for decades?

In: 5

Answer 1

Give a man a fish…

Aid addresses the symptoms but not the underlying cause which is weak ineffectual authoritarian governments. Economic development occurs when governments are beholden to their citizens productivity and prosperity for tax revenue. Many African nations have exploitable natural resources that create vast wealth with relatively few workers required. This environment is ripe for abuse. Basically, the dictator doesn’t care if 90% of his population starves as long as the military and people exploiting the resource wealth on his behalf are kept fed at a subsistence level.