Ethiopia

Horn of Africa "At Early Stages of Massive Tragedy"
Associated Press, April 25, 2000

The Horn of Africa is "at the early stages of what could be a massive human tragedy," according to a report by the U.N. special representative to the region. However, U.N. chief Kofi Annan said Tuesday that quick action might avert tragedy. "The situation is very serious but if we can pull together now, we might be able to avert a disaster," U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said at a brief news conference at Charles de Gaulle airport. Annan, headed to Dakar, Senegal, met with reporters during a stopover here. The U.N. will study the needs of draught-plagued countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya and Eritrea over the next three weeks and make specific aid requests to world governments in late May, Annan said. He made the decision to act quickly after reviewing the report by his special envoy Catherine Bertini, who also heads the World Food Program.

A three-year drought in the region has sparked food, water and medicine shortages. The World Food Program estimates that there are some 16 million people at risk from lack of food and water. With food supplies expected to run out in June or July, the region could soon face famine-like conditions, Bertini, who joined Annan, said. ... Bertini said current efforts were aimed at trying to avert a disaster like the 1984-85 Ethiopian famine, which left up to 1 million Ethiopians dead. "It's a crisis now, but it could become worse," Bertini said. The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization said last week that current food needs for the Horn of Africa have risen sharply to about 2 million tons- more than double last year's requirement and the highest level in 15 years.

Drought Starved Ethiopia Needs Food
Reuters, July 4, 2000

A senior U.S. aid official has appealed for more food aid for Ethiopia, where an estimated 10 million people are threatened by drought this year. After the failure of the recent Belg rains in Ethiopia, the government says the number of people needing aid this year has risen by around 2 million people, and the amount of food needed has risen to 1.2 million tons from 836,000 tons.