(Photo by Lorena Pajares)
Ethiopia (MNN) ― 25 years after the 1984 famine that killed a million people, Ethiopia finds herself stalked once more by hunger. This time, over six million people are at risk of starvation.
Crop failure coupled with the loss of pasture for livestock prompted the government to make an international appeal for emergency food aid.
The crisis is blamed on the drought that has hit much of the Horn of Africa, including Somalia and Kenya. However, government experts say drought is especially disastrous in Ethiopia because more than 80 percent of people live off the land.
The effect of the drought is compounded by dependence on rain-fed agriculture and ineffective farming practices. To complicate matters, some areas face a fierce insurgency. Aid groups say their movements in these areas are limited by military restrictions.
It's a desperate situation. Compassion International is sending $1.4 million to help. Compassion has been sending help to address food source insecurity; the distribution of more funding is planned before year's end.
While the money is earmarked for direct food relief and medical supplies, some will also be used to help develop small businesses.
Mark Hanlon, senior vice president of Compassion International USA, says, "In these communities that are continuously dealing with food source issues, we are helping individuals to withstand and perhaps even avoid food crises in the long term -- not just by helping them in the short-term but also by supporting small business enterprises."
Their work is literally lifesaving. In some areas of Ethiopia where Compassion works, the food that registered children receive at the child development centers is all that sustains them.
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