In Ethiopia, only enough food for the “hungriest”
June 30th, 2008 at 12:05 pm | posted by Betsy AvilaThe food crisis has taken its harshest toll on the poorest countries, Ethiopia being one of the hardest hit.
From the Christian Science Monitor :
In this African nation, about 10 million people, more than 12 percent of the population, are now in need of emergency food aid after a drought wiped out harvests. But because grain is now twice as expensive as a year ago – if it is available at all – there is not enough food in Ethiopia to feed everyone in need.
The UN estimates that 4.6 million Ethiopians are suffering from “severe malnutrition,”, but the lack of food is so severe that foreign and domestic aid-workers need to “prioritize” who is the most needy. Some have take to weighing children on wooden scales and providing food rations to the most malnourished.
UNICEF has made an appeal for $49 million to go towards “immediate intervention” in Ethiopia. UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde F. Johnson emphasized the severity of the situation:
“We talked to mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers and all actors in the field. This picture was confirmed by all of them and a clear message was conveyed: there is no food. The assistance needs to be taken to scale and it has to happen urgently.”
-Betsy Avila
June 30th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
If you want to feed the hungry, you should go on this website:
http://www.freerice.com/
They claim that they give rice to poor countries by vocab questions via the UN. Not sure if it works, though
June 30th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Hey Derrick, I’m glad that you know of the Free Rice website and posted it in the ONE Blog. Just so you know, that website actually DOES help the U.N. in delivering much needed food supplies to some of the world’s poorest people.
It’s a great way to build your vocabulary, have a bit of fun and help out the U.N.!
Take very good care, my friends. Blessings abound.
ALWAYS FOREVER, ONE - debbie
www.mpwn-uganda.org