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afrol News, 9 October - If not miracle rains save a part of the Ethiopian harvest, some 14 million people will need food assistance to survive. If the miracle rains come, still some 6 million people will face hunger. However, almost no funds exist to launch humanitarian operations next year. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) yesterday urged an immediate response to head off a massive humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia because the number of people in need of food aid is expected to rise sharply from the current 6 million to between 10 and 14 million people next year. - The number of people requiring food assistance in 2003 will depend on this month's rainfall, said Georgia Shaver, WFP Representative in Ethiopia. "If the rains stop early, 14 million people will need food aid - but even if they continue as normal, 10 million people will still need relief supplies," she added. - These figures are staggering and the international community should be prepared to face the worst-case scenario which will require between one to two million tonnes of food aid, Mrs Shaver said. "If donors respond quickly, we can help avoid immense human suffering in Ethiopia." Recent assessment missions across the country had revealed widespread losses of maize and sorghum crops as well as further reduced sources of pasture and water. The drought had caused numerous livestock deaths, with remaining animals only just surviving. Particularly affected were the pastoralist region of Afar, eastern parts of Oromiya Region lowlands, several areas of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region and northern Somali Region. Due to drought and erratic rainfall, many pastoralists and farmers face a shortage of livestock products and a lack of maize and sorghum, which are harvested green and are an important lean season food. These are also the staple foods for most rural people - accounting for over 40 percent of the total cereal production in Ethiopia. Nutritional surveys in several regions of Ethiopia are already showing increased cases of malnutrition among the weak and vulnerable. - We have started distributing food in affected areas early enough to contain the crisis, but if we don't get more pledges quickly, aid agencies' relief stocks will run out before December and the situation will deteriorate rapidly, said Georgia Shaver. On 7 October, the national Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission had launched an urgent appeal for food for some seven million people during October-December. For the remainder of the year Ethiopia needs 273,000 tonnes of food. The United States, the European Union, Sweden, China, Italy and Germany have already announced contributions totalling 200,000 tonnes. Besides food required until the end of the year, WFP was also seeking funding as soon as possible to cover the needs for the first quarter of 2003, estimated at between 350,000 - 500,000 tonnes (US$ 150 million to US$ 200 million). "Timely donors' pledges are vital so that food aid shipments are scheduled to match the food requirements through the year," the agency stressed. So far in 2002, WFP had received contributions totalling 300,000 tonnes of food (US$ 130 million), to feed approximately three million people per month in Ethiopia. Beneficiaries were receiving basic food rations consisting of cereals while the most vulnerable groups - children under five, pregnant and nursing mothers, the sick and the elderly - received supplementary rations of enriched blended foods. Sources: Based on WFP and
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