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FAMINE

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“Famine, today, is an insult…” 

June 6, 2000

“Famine, today, is an insult. That people still die on account of famine and famine-related diseases is something that really is quite hard to believe, at first. Yet, time and time again we have witnessed recurrent famines in a number of regions of the world, where entire populations have been violated of the most basic of all human rights, the right to life.” Freedom from Famine, Banik

These words resonate with the power of the naked truth! But it’s not only an insult it’s also a shame for us Ethiopians to be known around the world again & again as those “starving Ethiopians”. I’m sure we all wish that we could attribute this tragedy to “natural disaster” which would be so much easier for our conscience to accept but we know that it has as much to do with unfavorable socio-political & economic factors.

Why Famine Again?

Climate - The Horn of Africa is prone to cyclical droughts, which appear to be occurring with increasing frequency & severity. Global weather changes resulting in cooler sea temperatures in the Atlantic & Pacific oceans are reported to have lowered rainfalls in the Horn of Africa region. Previously, droughts were occurring every 10-15 years. The 1984 drought is reported to have killed as many as one million Ethiopians. A mind-boggling figure - our own Holocaust as some have called it! Since then however, there have been smaller but nonetheless significant droughts in 1987-88, 1991-92, 1993-94, and 1999. The current drought follows three years of poor rains. Ultimately, this is the primary reason for the current crisis.

Inefficient Farming Practices - In a country where about 85% of the population derives it’s livelihood from agriculture, agricultural techniques remain backward. Scarcity of irrigation methods means that there is a complete reliance on rainfall.

Rapid Population Growth - A burgeoning population that has doubled in the last 20-25 years from 30 million to over 60 million is another factor exacerbating the current situation. Population growth has generally outstripped the growth of agricultural production.

Deforestation and soil erosion - As the population has increased, more & more trees are cut down for energy leading to soil erosion as billions of tons of good topsoil are washed away every year. The total land available for agricultural production is shrinking. Concurrently the land has been divided into ever smaller pieces again as a result of the rapid population growth. The soil is overworked leading to lower yields.

War - Clearly, the diversion of scarce financial and other resources to the ongoing war with Eritrea has tremendously exacerbated the famine situation we are now facing.

Government Policies - Both inadequate and inappropriate government policies have contributed to the current crisis. Interestingly, appropriate government policies can mitigate all of the above stated factors except for #1. This underscores the importance of such policies in greatly reducing the impact of droughts to cause famine on such an immense scale!

Of course, one could spend precious time and resources pointing fingers at the main culprit: the government. And perhaps justifiably so! Or one could also ask “As an Ethiopian, do I have the responsibility to do anything? If so, what have I done about this crisis or in general about contributing to the development of my country?” No doubt, tough questions that face all of us in Diaspora; but nonetheless questions that we need to ask ourselves!

If the Ethiopian government has failed the Ethiopian people, undeniably so have most of us failed our country. What are we doing? The shameful & humiliating truth for the vast majority of us is: Absolutely nothing! Our main excuse is that we can’t trust that donated funds will reach the people that it’s intended for! But the reality is that we are so mistrustful of anybody - it almost borders on paranoia! While it’s perfectly legitimate and appropriate to question how funds are allocated and spent by any aid organization, it’s counter-productive and cruel to withhold aid purely on those grounds. What we should be doing is:

1. Stop sitting on the sidelines. If we say we love our country and are proud to be Ethiopians yet do less than Non-Ethiopians, then we are kidding ourselves! Let us resolve to make a meaningful contribution today!

2. Do some basic research on the various organizations that are involved in famine relief efforts in Ethiopia. Check that the organization is registered as a non-profit organization under Section 501(b) of the US Government Code. [see Famine Relief page]

3. Get personally involved and help establish/support local Ethiopian community activities or initiatives that are set up for famine relief and development.

Demand/Request accountability and transparency from Aid organizations while we are continuing to support them. 

For the longer term, it is clear that there is a need for an umbrella organization that coordinates & administers development aid from the Diaspora to our motherland! Ethiopia has invested in us and we each have a duty to give back to our beloved country!

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