Desperation as Ethiopia’s hunger grows (BBC)
Gavin Hewitt’s report from south-west Ethiopia
By Gavin Hewitt
BBC News, Ethiopia
Monday, 9 June 2008
It is a strange and unsettling ride west from the Ethiopian town of Shashamene. The fields are vibrant green. There is water in the creeks. The soil is a deep rich burgundy.
However, the people here speak of a “green drought”.
It is the time when the land is full of new shoots but there is no food. It happens because the last rains failed and few crops were planted.
A crowd gathers quickly. Some hold up their children. They want us to see the distended stomachs which are one sign of hunger.
The parents hope that, by seeing, we will take their children to a treatment centre.
In every village there were vulnerable
children. You can sense the desperation
when you arrive in a village.
This happened in the village of Odo. A local priest had visited last week and had taken the most severely malnourished children for emergency care.
But others had been left behind, including a 12-year-old with shrunken limbs who suffered from malaria. Read More.
It is a sad reality that shouldn’t be discussed at this point and should have been solved ages ago. But our governments resilience to use its compass irresponsibly on matters such as war does not help.
Ethiopia spends a great deal on things that has no ROI (Return On Investment). Isn’t it time that the government realizes that? But it has been time for a long time.
Maybe we will just be the constant face and reminder of overty for the rest of the world. I guess the world needs a reminder about poverty, and unfortunately at our expense.
Just an utter disaster.
A natioon that is blindsided by its own leaders time and again. Leaders that are, at best, incompetent and negligent to their kin.
Please, if anyone can list, organizations that we can all donate to. I know everyone is having a hard time including me but we don’t have to be told that there are people worse off. Who are so hungry they can’t think about their pride in Ethiopia or Ethiopians. I have been wanting to donate regularly for a long time. I have donated to some organizations before but I was told that they were more interested in religion. I would like to donate to a group that wants to help people become self sufficient I do not want to pay for a pastor’s suit.