1 October 2009
It’s a quarter of a century since BBC reporter Michael Buerk brought news of the Ethiopian famine into our living rooms.
His report moved millions and, not long after, Band Aid was born. The rest, as they say, is history.
It would be an exaggeration to say history is currently repeating itself in Ethiopia, but certainly the signs are worrying and if future rains fail, the situation will get much worse before it gets better.
The time for the church to act has arrived and Tearfund is looking to scale up its responses.
Already, compared to last year’s food crisis, this one covers a larger area of the country, affecting crop and livestock strongholds.
Protruding ribs
Some 6.2 million Ethiopians are facing food insecurity across six regions. Drought is the primary cause.
Successive years of poor rains have left large parts of the population vulnerable to hunger as crops have failed and livestock have starved.
A Tearfund worker recently travelled to the Rasa Goba area of Kewet District in Amhara region and found barren fields devoid even of weeds.
Nearby, cattle were faring badly in their search for pasture, evidenced by their ribs protruding through sagging skin.
The main rainy season from June to September, which covers about 90 per cent of the annual food production, started late and has produced below normal levels of rain.
Arid Kenya
This has interrupted planting for crops such as wheat, barley, peas and beans which means they are unlikely to reach full maturity unless the rains extend beyond their normal period. This so far looks unlikely.
The prospects for maize and sorghum, which constitute 50 per cent of Ethiopia’s total cereal production, are also not promising, due to poor short season rains from February to May and the poor quality of the main rainy season.
Drought has not confined itself to Ethiopia’s borders.
In Kenya, 3.8 million people face food insecurity, a figure that has jumped dramatically from 2.6 million in March. The maize crop which accounts for 80 per cent of cereal production, is forecast to be 28 per cent below usual levels.
Neighbouring Somalia’s food problems are dire, with half the population – 3.8 million people – needing emergency help to stay alive. Banditry and general insecurity have made matters worse.
Generous support
And in Uganda, more than a million people in the north eastern Karamoja region are receiving emergency food supplies, while another 1.5 million in Acholi and Teso are likely to need help over the coming six to 12 months.
Last year, thanks to the generous support of Christians all over the UK and Ireland for Tearfund’s East Africa appeal, our local church-based partners were able to provide material and spiritual help for many thousands of people.
Emergency food rations for the most vulnerable were followed up by projects to boost food security and improve livelihoods in the long term.
We’re looking to do the same again in 2009. Click here to support us.
Prayer points
• Please pray for vital rains to fall on East Africa so millions can receive respite from hunger.
• Pray that the food insecurity situation is not worsened by the El Nino effect - a phenomenon which can distort global weather patterns and bring heavy rains towards the end of the year, producing floods and mudslides which kill livestock and ruin crops.
• Pray for strength, perseverance and courage for local church partners in the face of the food crisis as they look to respond to the material and spiritual needs of people who are suffering.
• Pray for peace in Somalia where insecurity means aid agencies are severely hampered in their ability to respond.