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Africa: Millions go hungry in Ethiopia and East Africa
26 Oct 2009
A food crisis in Ethiopia has left more than six million people struggling for food security.
Poor and erratic rainfall has led to widespread crop failure, and the livelihoods of many affected families – who rely on the land for survival – are under threat.
On Thursday, the Ethiopian government asked the international community for emergency food aid for 6.2 million people. The request came at a meeting to discuss the impact of a prolonged drought affecting parts of East Africa.
The UN’s World Food Programme says US$175 million will be needed in the next six months.
Several poor rainy seasons and harvests have affected large areas of East Africa, including parts of Kenya, Somalia and Uganda. More than 20 million people in the region have been pushed into acute need.
Response
World Vision is responding to the emergency by addressing both the short-term and long-term needs. Seeds and tools are being distributed to enable production for next season.
In the long term, World Vision is working with communities to increase agricultural productivity and to develop sustainable farming practices and livelihoods.
Dawn Goodwin, of World Vision's office in the United Kingdom, spoke on behalf of staff whom she recently visited in Ethiopia. She said that the staff on the ground are working tirelessly to respond to the immediate needs and build ongoing relationships with local communities to help them to achieve long-term change.
“Balancing these dual challenges is a difficult and complex process, and we desperately need to ensure that adequate and sustained resources are available to respond to the current crisis and to help communities as they continue to build greater resilience for the future," she said.
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