About Nine Million Ethiopians Need Food Aid, Report Reveals

An estimated nine million people in Ethiopia’s pastoral regions will need food aid this year despite a projected bumper harvest for 2007/08, a US-funded research group said on Tuesday.

“About eight million chronically food insecure people and an additional 952,503 acutely food insecure people in Ethiopia will require food or cash assistance in 2008,” said the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS Net) in a report.

It is the first time that such figure are released by an independent body regarding the need for food assistance for the pastoral community of Ethiopia who are constantly affected by drought.

Last month, Ethiopia said it expected an overall harvest of 16.5 million tonnes of cereals in the current 2007/08 season due to good weather and better planting.

The group - funded by the aid wing of the United States government - said pastoralists in Ethiopia’s Somali, Oromo and Gambella regions were the worst hit.

The United Nations said last week that more than one million people were suffering from drought in Ethiopia’s Somali and Borena regions.

The network’s report said livestock prices and demand have declined especially for goats and cattle, which Ethiopia is sending a good number to the international market, mainly to the Middle East.

Source African Press Agency

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