Ethiopia Seeking Urgent Food Aid
Ethiopia
has appealed to the international community for more than 15,000
tonnes of emergency food aid to feed 6.2 million people.
The appeal comes 25 years after more than a million
perished in the country due to a notorious famine.
The Ethiopian government’s request was tabled at a meeting of
donors to discuss the impact of a prolonged drought affecting
seven East African nations.
The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) is already facing a
shortfall of more than $85m worth of food for Ethiopia to
the end of this year.
Ethiopia's State
Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mitiku Kassa
said this year's rains were especially poor.
He says, "as
a result, the number of people needing emergency assistance
during the period October-December 2009 has increased to 6.2
million from 4.9 million at beginning of the year."
Ethiopia has a
population of 83 million.
Breakdown of
needs
The minister
appealed for 159,410 tonnes of food worth $121
million, 11 tonnes of fortified blended food for
malnourished children and women worth $8.9 million, and
$45 million in non-food needs.
New
Approaches
Aid agency Oxfam has called for a new approach to tackling the
risk of disaster in the country.
In
a report, Oxfam said that imported food aid saves lives in the
short term but does little to help communities withstand the
next shock.
The report named Band Aids and Beyond, called on international
donors to adopt a new approach focused on preparing communities
to prevent and deal with disasters before they strike.
U.N.
humanitarian coordinator, Fidelle Sarassaro urged the Ethiopian
government to ensure free access to aid workers to the war-torn
eastern Somali region.
Last month Oxfam launched a $15m emergency appeal for the
whole East African region, where it is suggested that 23
million people in seven countries are under threat.
The WFP, which is also calling for aid to the region, says cuts
in its funding have made it more difficult to feed people.
REUTERS/BBC/Yinka
