## Preventing Famine

_IMF Podcasts, December 15, 2011_

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Preventing Famine](https://www.imf.org/en/news/podcasts/all-podcasts/2017/11/10/preventing-famine)

## Other formats

- [Markdown version](/en/news/podcasts/all-podcasts/2017/11/10/preventing-famine/index.md)
- [Structured JSON version](/en/news/podcasts/all-podcasts/2017/11/10/preventing-famine/index.json)
- [Bundle manifest](/en/news/podcasts/all-podcasts/2017/11/10/preventing-famine/bundle-manifest.json)

## Bibliographic details
- Published: December 15, 2011

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### Episode overview
- Date: December 15, 2011
- Theme: Examination of why the disaster in the Horn of Africa was not foreseen despite prior investments in early warning systems.
- Context provided: After the dire food shortages almost 25 years ago in Ethiopia, American aid helped implement an early warning system aimed at forecasting likely food emergencies.

### Key questions and analysis
- Why wasn't the disaster in the Horn of Africa foreseen despite existing early warning systems?
- Implicit analytical focus:
  - Effectiveness and limitations of early warning systems established after the Ethiopia famine.
  - The gap between forecasting and timely, effective response to food emergencies.

### Participants and perspectives
- Mwangi Kimenyi, Brookings Institute
- Josette Sheeran, UN World Food Program
- Ray Offenheiser, Oxfam America
- Njuguna Ndung'u, Kenyan Central Bank Governor

### Production and presentation
- Host/Producer: Bruce Edwards, International Monetary Fund
  - Notes: Bruce Edwards produces the IMF podcast program; award-winning audio producer and journalist; has covered armed conflicts, social unrest, and natural disasters; believes economists have an important role in solving the world's problems and aims to showcase their research in every IMF podcast.
- Contributor: Rhoda Metcalfe, independent journalist and audio producer

### Visual caption
- "Young Somali woman holding her malnourished child. The famine has affected thousands in the region (Stuart Price/UN/handout)"

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## Content in this bundle

- [Famine (MP3)](/-/media/websites/imf/imported-podcast/imported-podcast-mp3/external/podcast/2011/famine.mp3){rel="external" type="audio/mpeg"}

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/en/news/podcasts/all-podcasts/2017/11/10/preventing-famine_