May 9, 2003

Outside aid has made a big difference in Ethiopia, where more than 11 million people are at risk of starvation, but more is needed urgently - $350 million more, according to an aid delegation that has visited the East African country.

We entered homes with literally nothing more than a cooking pot, a few utensils and well-worn mats on a dirt floor, said Kathryn Wolford, president of Baltimore-based Lutheran World Relief (LWR). Families had already depleted their seeds and sold their animals. I saw one child, age 3, who was the size of a 1-year-old ... and realized we were seeing what could happen more and more frequently if adequate food assistance and other support are not forthcoming.

Wolford and the heads of Catholic Relief Services and Africare returned in March from a mission to assess the severe food shortage in Ethiopia. The delegation held a briefing at the National Press Club in Washington, conveying a mixture of alarm, optimism and confidence.

After the news conference, the delegation spent the afternoon bringing the same message to members of Congress. Now is the time for long-term development assistance to pre-empt the next food crisis as well, they stressed.

It is impossible to visit Ethiopia today and not think about the 1984-85 famine, Wolford said. More people are at risk today than in that epic disaster of a million deaths, she said.

Population increases, crop failures, environmental damage and the prevalence of HIV/AIDS all add to the risk of a major humanitarian crisis, according to Wolford. Eritrea, where 2 million people are affected by a similar food crisis, also needs assistance, the group said.

Ethiopia is one of the largest recipients of food aid in the world, yet is one of the smallest recipients of development aid, even though it is among the worlds poorest countries. Africare President Julius Coles noted that the U.S. governments emergency aid to Ethiopia was 50 times greater last year than its agricultural development assistance - $200 million versus $4 million.

Substantial new investments in agriculture, marketing and education today can break the cycle of recurring hunger tomorrow, Coles said.

Contributions, earmarked African Food Crisis, may be sent to LCMS World Relief, P.O. Box 66861, St. Louis, MO 63166-9810. Or, call the credit-card gift line at (888) 930-4438. The LCMS agency will forward the funds to Lutheran World Relief in Baltimore.

This is a genuine and extreme crisis in the making, said Rev. Matthew Harrison, executive director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care. This is exactly the kind of cooperation in externals effort that we in the LCMS will support in every way possible.

LCMS News Service