Minister calls for new approach to hunger in Ethiopia
18 Nov 2009
Fundamental change is needed if Ethiopia is to end the wide spread hunger and dependency on food aid that continues to blight the lives of millions, International Development Minister, Gareth Thomas, said today.
A third year of drought has left some fourteen million people malnourished and without sufficient food to survive, highlighting the country’s continued vulnerability to low rainfalls and changes in economic conditions.
The UK will provide a £172.5m package of support to provide immediate humanitarian relief to those most in need alongside longer-term measures that will ensure people are better placed to cope with future disasters.
On a visit to the country, Mr Thomas said:
“The situation today is very different from the one the world witnessed in 1984 when over a million people died.
UK aid, alongside the work of the Ethiopian Government and the wider international community, is ensuring food is getting through but there are a shockingly large number of families still going hungry every day.
That is why we’re investing over £170m to help people now and for the future but the Ethiopian Government and international community must bring forward real and substantial reform too.
First, the speed of government reform on things like agriculture and land must accelerate if the country is to cope with continued population growth.
Second, aid and aid workers must be allowed to reach those most in need, including areas such as the Somali Region.
Third, the UN and donors must ensure their programmes are designed to break the dependency on food aid by tackling the root causes of persistent shortages."
£54 million wil go on humanitarian relief including emergency food supplies.
The rest of the programme will be invested in basic services such as health, education, water and sanitation.
This will help to put 2.8 million more children in school, give 6 million people access to water and ensure an extra 400,000 children reach their fifth birthday.
There has been progress since 1984.
Over the last five years this has seen almost six million extra children in school, 20 million bed nets distributed and over half of households now with access to water.
The situation for ordinary Ethiopians remains extremely tough.
Some 46% of the population are malnourished and 39% live below the poverty line. This makes people extremely vulnerable with drought, conflict and market change pushing people over the edge all too easily.
Source:DFID
