Ethiopia: Millions affected by famine

Distributing aid in western Ethiopia

Emergency aid has been rushed out to Ethiopia by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) amid reports that the famine crisis affecting millions of people has dramatically worsened. Father Haile Gabriel Meleku, deputy secretary general of the Ethiopian Catholic Bishops' Conference, said he feared the number threatened by famine in the country could be much higher than the 10.2 million government estimate.

Saying "the catastrophe can be felt everywhere", Fr Meleku warned of conflict in the desperate struggle for dwindling resources and described an increasing mass movement of people trying to find food and water, with children missing school and the death of cattle and other livestock. Reports say that within the past month there has been a two-million increase in the number of people suffering as a result of the drought.

Fr Melaku noted the government's attempts to distribute food but said the situation "could not be gotten under control without outside help". He praised the Church's emergency assistance plan and appealed for people to remain in their villages so that help could be sent to them quickly.

Fr Meleku said the famine was preventing many parishioners from going to church, a journey of up to four hours. Catechists who rely on farming to support their families and neighbours are especially in need of help.

ACN has rushed £330,000 in emergency aid in famine-stricken dioceses. ACN is supporting 1,415 catechists spread across all 13 of the country's dioceses. Each family is to receive £238 each on average to support them for the entire year.

Source: ACN

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