(telegraph.co.uk) — Britain will give at least £15 million in aid to fight starvation in Ethiopia as the situation in the drought-stricken country worsens, International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander has said.
A team of Department for International Development officials are due to arrive in Ethiopia on Tuesday to assess the situation and the Ethiopian government is expected to launch an emergency appeal this week.
Mothers and their malnourished children wait to receive food aid and treatment in Bolossa Sore, Ethiopia
Aid groups say the crisis in Ethiopia was the worst since 1984, when a famine captured the world’s attention and killed around one million people. The current drought, in a country where more than 80 per cent of its 79 million people live off the land, has been compounded by global food price rises.
Monday night’s announcement of a £10 million contribution – in addition to a £5 million pledge last month – came as John Holmes, the United Nation’s top humanitarian official, said despite international aid, Ethiopia was again facing hunger on a mass scale.
“The World Food Programme feeds some 8 million people already, together with the other (aid agencies) in Ethiopia,” he said. “But we may need to increase that, because of drought.”
Unicef, the United Nations Children’s Fund, warned at least 126,000 children were in need of urgent care to prevent severe malnutrition and said £25 million was needed just to meet emergency needs.
“We’re overwhelmed,” said Margaret Aguirre, a spokeswoman for the International Medical Corps, a California-based aid agency. “There’s not enough food and everyone’s starving and that’s all there is to it. Older children are starting to show the signs of malnutrition when normally they might be able to withstand shocks to the system.
“What’s particularly concerning is that the moderately malnourished are soaring. It’s increasing so much that it means those children are going to slide into severe malnutrition.”
The famine comes as Ethiopian troops fight a bloody battle Somalia, backing the government against Islamic insurgents. Somalia on Monday signed a deal with the opposition alliance, calling for an end to the violence and the withdrawal of Ethiopian forces.
The opposition sees the Ethiopian troops as an occupying force and it international rights groups and aid agencies estimate that at least 6,000 civilians have been killed in fighting over the past year.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Britain’s government is partly responsible for the political and economic crises in Ethiopia by supporting the Woyanne tribal junta to stay in power. What Ethiopia needs is not frifari (crumbs). The best thing Britain can do for Ethiopia is to stop arming and financing the brutal dictatorship.
25 thoughts on “Britain throws its crumbs at starving Ethiopia”
ante yelemagn lij. Antem sew honkina meliseh yebelahibetin ej tineksaleh. Endante yale genna kelimena yatelakeke new yeEthiopian hizb frifari lekami yemilew. Ekekam ertrawi…ye areb gered. Kit atabi…There will come a day when you’ll pay the price. Just wait.
The comment at #1 missed the point and exceeded the bounds of civility. What ER said was that the British assistance is too little – a crump(frfari) off the table of the rich.
It is also true that the support given by Blair’s government kept the tyrant Meles in power despite his heinous crimes
Anonymous @ No 1, please don’t degrade your self to a sub human. We know it is a question of survival for you and have to defend any accusiton against woyanie. But it shouldn’t be this way.
Woyanie has been a source of our humilation and all cronic problems. It is still busy building the Tigray empire at the expense of these millions of dying children. It is busy planning the new Tigray’s gateway to the world: The Mekele-Port Sudan railway. We are yet to witness the robbery of Ethiopian resources for the benefits of the Tigray.
But I believe we deserve that. Because we all are coward and full of empty rehetoric.
I have no idea who is gonna fight our fight. I think we have to hire alien mercinaries. Isn’t a real sad to see a once a great nation turned out to be ….
Look at these woyana pathetic brainless homos comming here to comment. Mr Anonynous or should I say Mr filth, go wash Melese feet don’t come here and spew you narrow minded ideas.
“Yelemang lij”? you woyanas are so funny, is that supposed to be an insult? That just shows how you are willing to kill the people of Ethiopia by disregarding pveryt is something to be shunged upon.
Mr Anonymous, you are scared out of your pants that you can’t even have the balls to write your name;you pussy boy.
Mr Anonymous
I was so disgusted when I read your comment. Wish you could tell your opposition to the article in a better way – it is your right to oppose – but it is not your right to insult. P;ease – next time – try to find a better words if there are any in ur brain. By the way – the article is so right and describes the realities in Ethiopia – just incase if you are one of the so called rich people and drive around only Bole and cover your eyes no to the children dying in Gullele, kirkos and other parts of Addis – SHAME ON YOU MAN – wake up from your dreams and try to see the reality – People are dying in Ethiopia and you, I and others who think that we are better of have a responsibility to saves these lives – they are Ethiopians too – they deserve to live —-
Crumbs? emmm what a way to grab the headline of the day. Shameful! The core problem is the Weyane regime, which was helped and financed by the UK and other major powers to stay on power.
This is not 1984, the world has changed. If we can not solve our own problems no matter how much crumb is thrown at us nothing will make us self sustainable.
Didn’t Maferia or Mefia TPLF MOUTHPIECE, released a press, claiming these major news groups are exaggurating about starvation in Non Tigray regions of Ethiopia? What happened in a matter of hours there are children and women facing hunger that dwarf 1984 starvation of Northern Ethiopia. Who is telling the truth? The regime or the photos? or the news media?
Ethiopia has faced unpredented extremes. Regime that is bending back ward to empty the country, the mere eager to be alive, which is natural vs The confusion, purposely manufactured to black out all medias from looking into the horrors of our time.
This is treasn at its finest form someone would pay hefty fee when true democracy arrive years down the streams.
I totally agree with ER that what starves the Ethiopian people is the injustice and the brutality of the TPLF led by the criminal and sadistic Meles.Unless this regime is stopped by its supporters such as Britain,mass starvation and mass killing will continue to be the order of the day-not only in Ethiopia but also in Somalia.Britain should not shed any crocodile tears because is holding the coat for Meles while he`s killing innocent civilians in Ogaden and Somalia.
Ethiopians are hard working people. Ethiopian climate/weather is not hostile. The country is awash with rivers. Starvation became the trade mark of the country because it is being ruled by dictator after dictator. If the west really wants to help Ethiopians, it should point out the real problem. We don’t want your rice. We want freedom from the brutal dictatorship killing the nation. Help us in that regard.
Ethiopia separatist rebels launch major operations
afrol News, 10 June – Ethiopia’s Ogaden National Liberation Army (ONLF) confirmed to have launched a major “counter-offensive military operations” against government forces on Tuesday.
The group that had earlier claimed to have rebuffed the late May offensive by Ethiopian army, said its two units from the Gorgor Command had already launched two prolonged offensive in Dhagah-Madow district. The ONLF said its attacks also led to the destruction and capture of enemy troops in several military units, including those in Wayne and Dhagah.
“Hundreds of soldiers were captured and causalities were very high,” the group said in a statement, claiming to have repelled, degraded and dispersed reinforcements from Harar, Fiq and Dhagah. Having claimed to have either killed, captured or dispersed into wilderness more than 1,800 government soldiers, the ONLF said it is now “in hot pursuit of the remnants.”
Ogaden forces who have been leading a liberation struggle for the independence of ethnic Somalis in Ethiopia’s vast oil-rich region, also claimed to have captured heavy weaponry, ammunition and military vehicles. Founded in 1884, the group has been at war with the Addis Ababa regime, accusing it of marginalizing the region.
Rebel attacks on Chinese oil workers in April 2007 had sparked a bloody clash between the two sides in Ogaden. The clash left 77 people dead.
Last month, the group accused the Ethiopian government of “deliberately organizing and instigating armed attack on the Oromo.” This accusation was pedaled after armed militia from Gumuz, a region bordering Omomia from the west, was reported to have been involved in “wanton killings” of Oromo people. An estimated 400 people were reported killed in the two day terror campaign.
Besides, the Ethiopian High Court sentenced eight ONLF separatist rebel fighters to death in May after they were found guilty of “killing and wounding innocent people.”
The rebels detonated grenades into a stadium where some 100,000 people gathered for a national day celebration last year, killing six people and wounding more than 40 others. Several people died in the stampede after police responded to the attack by firing shots in the air.
By staff writer
The irony is that Tigreans aren’t starving b/c Woyane gathered food from other parts of Ethiopia and stored it in Tigray. That is why we see people are dying of hunger in Ethiopia while they are parting in Tigray.
How many strvations took place the last 17 years compared to the other times in our histry.Can any tplf mouth piece answer this?
It remind me something, I was not even alive or born in 1966E.c and I was very young in 1976EC(1984) but read and heard a lot about the starvation and drought during those times, From my understanding this time is the worst of all. What was one of (not only) the major issues Ethiopian protests against the majesty regime? Weren’t the drought and his majesty silence or hiding it from the people? We always remember that the “Derge” and “woyane” blaming his majesty for hiding the starvation and was telling us that makes the government change. So may be the silence of the then tagay’s and today’s rulers on this drought might bring the same result to that of his Majesty? Who knows? But it reminds me that anyways.
If we are against getting humaniterian aid from abroad who is going to feed these starving people? do we expect the Weyane governmentis willing or capable of feeding? Are we ready to help them out of hunger? the answer is obviously a Big NO. If we do not have alternate options let these starving people get something to eat. Thay do not deserve to die on hunger. Let’s think! why we Ethiopians accostemed to oppose every thing? please let’s be far sighted and positive. We have to learn a lot.
The first commentator seems to be mentally ill. That is not the way to challenge Ethiopian review editor’s comment or any other commentator. That is not absolutely civil way to give answer to other people’s comment. I urge you to convince us point by point editor’s mistake rather than labelling insulting a concerned Ethiopian. Elias Kifle is 100% ETHIOPIAN. Think about your obsession that “all people opposing woyane is Eritrean”
Mr/Ms first commentator stop making a God of woyane & TPLF. Please think and raise to the condition of a god our great country called Ethiopia & Ethiopian people rather hated regime like woyane.
God bless Ethiopia & Ethiopian people
For Gods sake right now while you politicians are talking about politics, millions are facing death. At this time even a single penny that saves the lives of our fellow Ethiopians is welcomed and 15 million shouldn’t be called crumbs probably it is small as compared to what is needed, this is not the way to ask more aid. I suggest you should change your heading, who can understand you what you meant is small from that heading. Thanks
“The best thing Britain can do for Ethiopia is to stop financing the brutal dictatorship.”
No Elias, no!
Britain is NOT interrested in removing a servant who is doing the bidding for the West. Far from it. They love it and they WILL CONTINUE to prop up such irresponsible government. It is to their short term interest to do so. So, we can not expect the the evil designers like Britain to help get rid of the evil doers in the criminals of malelit.
Comment #1,
You Weyane kiss asses need to be a little civilized (if that is possible) in your responses. Firstly, there is no reason to call a genuine Ethiopian as brother Elias is – an Eritrean. I do not have any problem if Elias wants to be an Eritrean. Not at all! it is people like him (be it from Ethiopia or Eritrea) that keeps us sane and see some hope that both Eritrea and Ethiopia will be at peace with each other and reaping their product of peace and tranquility for their MUTUAL survival. I know Eritreans consider their Ethiopian counter parts as something inseparable and I believe the feeling is mutual from the Ethiopian side. Now, that is something one can not say with the Weyane supporters with certainty.
comment 1..don’t you have any sense of shame to write such offensive words on public medium. keep in mind most of us are not narrow minded fellow.if u have any disagreement about brother elias views,you may have a liberty to articulate your own perception adequatly without losing your temper.most of us objective is to creat new ethiopia governed not by clans ,but by law.unfortunatly,your absurdity showed us what kind of person you are.ur verbal explanation seem to be poor and collide head on with reality.for this reason i conculded my concern that ur mental status must be escaped from common sense.
Elias, WE WOULD EXPOSE THOSE ARROGANT TEGERAY CRIMINALS.THEY HAVE LOTTED MILLIONS OF TONS CReals FROM DIFFERENT REGION IN ETHIOPIA AND STORED IN TEGERAY WHEN MILLIONS OF ETHIOPIANS ARE DYING OF STARVATION. SO LET US GIVE THIS INFORMATION TO AN INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES AND BASED ON THIS INFORMATION UN or EU AND USA must send a sort of forces which can find out all their stored creals. this information is based on facts. let us expose these conscienceless bandas[ chigaramoch]
Dear friends
Our people are starving; children are dying, inflation are all time higher. Life in the country becoming worse and worse every day. Theirs is a lot of different factors which we all know off. (I don’t won’t go through) Apparently we have a dictator and antic based government. I am appalling to Diaspora intellectuals and how is living in the country all Ethiopian children. Let’s focus and work together for the best of the country interest. Lets live our different behind us for a little while. If we do that we can make a difference
It is sad that over thirty years after the famine that led to the downfall of emperor Haileselassie we are discussing famine in Ethiopia again. Whatever the British or any other government will give will not solve the main problem of hunger in Ethiopia. Until the Ethiopian people are governed by political entities who are only answerable to their own people, none of the three regimes that ruled Ethiopia were or are answerable to the people of Ethiopia, due to that nothing will change no matter how much hand out are thrown to Woyanne. We all know Woyanne could care less about the people who are starving, their main concern is staying in power and to do that they can’t spend their time being responsive to the people of Ethiopia.
My Ethiopian friends this is not the time to bicker over side issues. Keep your eyes on the prize and work in unisom to get rid of Woyanne and be ready for pressure from western powers if and when you decide to create and just and free nation. Western powers don’t care about Africans in general and Ethiopians in particular, all they care about their interest, their interested are served by modern day slaves like Woyane. Those who think Woyanne is capable of leading Ethiopia towards peace and properity are either extremely naive or willing modern day slaves who are more interested about getting accepted by western powers than the people of Ethiopia. The line has been drawn and those who are on the wrong side will be judged by the Ethiopian people harshly in the end.
i got one thing to say “melese got to go” were ever he came from. me messed up our country big time. our ppl dont like him and he dosent like them too so what a f*** is he doing up there. our ppl need to open up their eyes and stand up to that macho man…he makes me mad eko.
so MR MELESE ZENAWE do as all a favor and go to HELL. hope when u get there…u burn like u did to our friends and family.
Eritrea review owner Elias Kiflom. Please see what is going on in your mother country Eritrea. You denied the facts like your lord Isayas Afeworke half of Eritreans starving. Please cancel your lunch and through crumbs to your brothers and sisters. you are now invading Djibouti to search food for your hungry soldiers. Shame on Eritrea dictators and Elias Kiflom.
I do see this as a natural disaster compounded by the collective inability of Ethiopians to learn from it and make amends. Famine never takes center stage in Ethiopian politics and Ethiopian day to day live, unless you are starving. It was never a central topic last election either. It surprises the hell out of me. Instead each of the three regimes I lived through mirrored this cultural sentiment and try to cover it up instead of tackling it to bring about basic change.
I was in Addis recently. People just don’t talk about it. That is because either they don’t know- believe it or not- but also they don’t care. Ethiopians, we are really weird people.
I think this government is organized enough, for better or works, they can can make some impressive long and short term improvement if they put their focus on it. I think, however, they are chewing more than they can swallow with their current economic plan, forgetting the current situation of the people. Yes we know image is everything and it will affect international business investment but we are talking lives here. Hiding facts is not the way to go.