A Closer Look at the Famine in Ethiopia (1984-1985)

From http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Closer-Look-at-the-Famine-in-Ethiopia-(1984-1985)&id=2028582 and http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/703958.stm

The famine in Ethiopia 1984-1985 is considered one of the most devastating famines in the history of mankind. There were actually two famines, both of which were equally destructive, during this period - one in the northern region and one in the southern region. The famine in the north was mainly due to the government's callous carelessness and the famine in the south was mainly due to the failure of short rains at that time.

The reign of the Derg is widely considered the most important cause of the famine in Ethiopia 1984. When the Derg was in control, there were insurgencies in as many as fourteen of the country's administrative regions. A lot of local groups were competing against each other to take control of the country during this period. So, in order to put an end to all these insurgencies, the Derg started to kill the 'suspected' enemies of the government. This period (1977 to 1978) is called the Red Terror during which hundreds of thousands of people were killed systematically by the Derg.

It won't be farfetched to say that the seeds of the famine in Ethiopia 1984 were deliberately sown during the Red Terror. During this period, the AMC (Agricultural Marketing Corporation), a corporation set up by the Derg, started extracting food from the peasants in the rural areas to feed the urban population.

This move was a direct result of the nationwide unrest among the urban population thanks to the insurgencies. The Derg tried to pacify the urban population by giving food grains at very cheap prices. However, this turned out to be a disaster for the rural population, especially the peasantry.

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In 1984 the harvest looked likely to be very poor. There had not been the usual spring rains and disease had destroyed crops in Sidamo, Ethiopia's traditional breadbasket region.

In March the Ethiopian Government warned that five million people were at risk from starvation because the country could produce only 6.2 million tonnes of grain a year, one million less than needed.

By the summer tens of thousands were dying of starvation and related disease. Aid agencies said six million people were at risk.

By October, eight million people were in danger of starvation.

But increased television and newspaper coverage throughout Western Europe led to an increase in public donations - the UK public gave £5m in three days.

Even then, government response was low-key. In the UK there were plans to provide RAF transport to drop food, but there were delays and diplomatic arguments with the Ethiopian Government. The first Hercules aircraft went to Ethiopia in November.

Public donations

In October 1984 the death toll in Ethiopia was estimated at 200,000. Western diplomats said 900,000 people would die by the end of the year whatever the level of aid.

In November the first British relief plane arrived in the capital Addis Ababa, sponsored by UK newspaper the Daily Mirror. But it was more a publicity stunt for proprietor Robert Maxwell, who arrived personally to deliver just 20 tonnes of supplies. As BBC Correspondent Michael Buerk reported it was enough to last 12 minutes.

By December the Western public had donated more than £100m, but the Ethiopian government was stepping up its internal war and continuing to divert aid supplies to its troops. Heavy storms flattened the few crops that had been planted.


Rumours of a food delivery would set off panic

Thousands of refugees were fleeing war and famine and heading into neighbouring Sudan; an estimated 2,000 people a day by December.

But Western awareness was now high, helped by the Band Aid single, "Do they know its Christmas?", which raised £8m for charity.

Foreign aid was flown into Ethiopia throughout 1985, and two Live Aid charity concerts raised millions of pounds.