It's estimated four and a half million people in Ethiopia
need immediate food assistance as a result of drought. That's on top of more
than seven million already receiving other types of humanitarian and government
aid. Higher food prices have made it more difficult to deal with the situation.
Simon Roughneen, a freelance journalist and
analyst, is traveling through the drought-stricken parts of the country. He's
currently in Sidama Province in the southwest, about 800 kilometers from Addis
Ababa. He spoke to VOA English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua.
"Basically rains have failed in various locations
and rains come at various times in various places and…planting seasons are
arranged around these rains. And if they don't come it adds considerably to
what's called the hunger period, which is generally between harvests…. Now, I
have been traveling around Sidama Province, west of the town of Awassa, which is
some of the worst hit regions. Basically the story is the staple crop there is
maize…. That's failed…. It's already adding to a situation in the country,
where you have anywhere between three and five million people who are
chronically food aid dependent at the best of times anyway," he says.
Roughneen says he's visited a number of health
and feeding centers that are caring for severely malnourished children under
the age of five. The young children are especially vulnerable to the effects of
food shortages and drought.
"You see crowds of mothers, sometimes fathers and
brothers, bringing their younger siblings, their younger children to these
places where often they wait up to a week to receive treatment for
malnutrition…. It's too early to call it a humanitarian disaster just yet, but
the problem is that the rains are late in many places, which is going to affect
the harvests, which is going to affect the food supply availability on the
ground," he says.
Asked how aid agencies are coping with the
situation, Roughneen says, "We have rising food prices…across the world and
basic staples have gone up over the past couple of years, In some cases up
over 100 percent. And then you have the phenomenon of the huge oil prices…which
is affecting transport costs. And also related aspects, such as fertilizers,
which are fuel and petroleum dependent, as well. So, aid agencies are facing
increasing costs in terms of meeting their basic or ongoing needs."
He says that for example the World Food Program's
projected budget fell far short of what is needed, due to soaring food prices.
But he also points out that past experience
with drought has taught aid agencies how to help prevent situations from
deteriorating into famine, as in years past. He says, "It's not all doom and
gloom. I mean there are positive things happening here on the ground as well….
The other side of the town I'm in…the eastern side of that town…is not so
drought affected as the west. I've seen some livelihood programs that some of
the aid agencies are implementing with local farmers. They're giving them sheep
and goats. For example, they're training beekeepers. There's a good system here
in terms of getting freshly produced honey into the main towns…. They're
changing the crop cycles and the basic staples that are grown here. I mean
maize is the main one, but they're trying to diversify…and the aid agencies are
providing seeds, tools, basic training in terms of growing different crops….
That in turn can boost the overall food production within the country."
E-mail This Article
Print Version
