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West has tackled famine's remedies, but not causes |
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April 22, 2000
ADDIS ABABA, APR 21 (AP) - Lagging Western efforts have contributed to the Horn of Africa's latest food crisis, despite early warning systems and emergency food reserves.
Aid groups say famine has been handled better since the mid-1980s when it took images of starving Ethiopians and celebrity appeals to pull at the heart- and purse-strings of the world. But experts contend the conditions that bring on famine have yet to be tackled.
"One of the overwhelming responses has been exasperation and disappointment and shock at the fact that it could be happening again," said Charles Walker of Oxfam, a British-based charity outspoken in Ethiopia's past crisis and its current one.
Ethiopia's last famine, in the mid-1980s, is estimated to have killed up to 1.2 million people. Although the realization was slow to dawn then, the famine was caused almost entirely by manmade causes - largely, the determination of Ethiopia's then-military government to choke off food supplies to rebels in famine-struck areas.
This time, however, drought, triggered the Horn of Africa's latest food crisis.
Still, all the northeastern African countries afflicted by drought - Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia - are also coping with wars or internal conflicts that obstruct emergency aid and divert resources from starving people.
Eritrea and Ethiopia, both among the world's 10 poorest countries, each are spending up to dlrs 1 million a day on their 23-month-old border war, the British-based International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates.
The United States and other nations so far have had no success in pressing for an end to fighting in the region. On Wednesday, the U.N.'s envoy to the famished regions in the Horn of Africa urged them to try harder.
"There is only one long-term (solution) - that is peace," Catherine Bertini said.
Most efforts after Ethiopia's last famine concentrated on short-term solutions.
Ethiopia and international organizations refined a famine policy and warning system meant to give valuable lead time on response to food shortages - or stave them off entirely.
A pride of the efforts was establishment of an emergency food reserve of up to 400,000 metric tons.
Critically, however, donor nations have been tardy on fulfilling pledges to replenish reserves drained in what is now the third year of drought.
With commitments of 355,000 metric tons (390,500 short tons) in the distant pipeline, the reserves now hold only 50,000 metric tons (55,000 short tons). With hundreds - or thousands - or people already dying in southeast Ethiopia, urgent warnings went out that the stockpiles would run out entirely by June.
"A key question in this is why has the food security reserve not done its job this year," said Simon Maxwell, a head of Britain's Overseas Development Institute.
"If the international community committed itself to supporting food security and then failed, than that is a very disturbing matter that needs to be investigated," Maxwell said.
There is plenty of blame to go around - although none so far is accepted.
The European Union, which has delivered on just half its pledges, rejects criticism by Ethiopia. Ethiopia in turn rejects EU criticism that its seemingly intractable conflict with Eritrea is complicating relief efforts, at the least.
In addition, the area hardest hit by the acute food shortages - the southeastern Region 5 inhabited largely by ethnic Somalis - has been part of Ethiopia for less than 100 years, and its local administration and infrastructure are weak.
Still, Famine 2000 unquestionably looms less disastrous than did Famine 1984-85, Walker, of Oxfam, said.
"There is a potential to avert it this time, and that's really significant," Walker said. "Clearly, that's much, much better than chasing the game."
Better yet would be stopping the cycle of famines entirely.
In Ethiopia, Maxwell of the Overseas Development Institute said, that would take no less than 50 patient years of sustained economic development.
Without that, the world is likely to see more devastating images like those that prompted rock singer Bob Geldof's Band Aid and Live Aid concerts which raised drls 110 million for the victims of the 1984-85 famine.
"It's just so demoralizing again to see after so many years such similar images," Walker said.
"Ultimately, if we don't want to be here again, this seems to be the time to let ... governments know, that something has to change," he said.
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