Desperate drought-stricken Ethiopians need new seed

An elderly woman receives cooking oil at an emergency food aid distribution in the village of Estayish in Ethiopia's northern Amhara region. Photo. REUTERS/Katy Migiro

Drought affected farmers in Ethiopia have in desperation eaten their own seeds, and several million people need help to sow new crops.
This is reported by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),  who  are requesting a sum equivalent to 110 million NOK in order to help more than 600,000 hard-hit Ethiopians by the end of March.
– It is crucial that we are able to react quickly in order to get agriculture moving again before the drought further destroys the food security and livelihoods of millions of people,  Amadou Diallo Allahoury of the FAO says.
Ethiopia is hit by the worst drought in 50 years due to the El Niño weather phenomenon. The residents in a number of other African countries are also threatened by starvation due to drought.
Earlier, the Government of Ethiopia asked the UN for a sum equivalent to 12 billion to provide food for 10.2 million starving people.
435,000 Ethiopian children are expected to be severely malnourished during 2016. This means that they are at risk of dying if they do not get medical help

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today