ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT MAKES PLEAS FOR EMERGENCY FOOD AID

Excerpts from : Civil Military Fusion Senter Report

NORTH EAST AFRICA REVIEW
ISSUE 17, 08 OCTOBER—22 OCTOBER, 2009

Overview
North East Africa Knowledge Manager, Stuart Kefford, stuart.kefford@cimicweb.org
The US administration clarified its approach to Sudan when it finalized its review of its policy towards the country. The administration’s position on Sudan allows all parties to understand what is required, and provides the confidence that the goalposts will not be changed, which can help the implementation of the peace agreements and progress of peace talks in the country.
Somalia continues in a state of flux with factions turning on each other, and defections of key individuals changing the political dynamics of the country (southern Somalia).
Ethiopia has requested international assistance to help provide food aid for up to 13 million people that are in need.
ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT MAKES PLEAS FOR EMERGENCY FOOD AID
Ethiopia Knowledge Manager, Matthew Hall, matthew.hall@cimicweb.org

“There is a real danger of a humanitarian disaster in the coming months if the international community stands by and does nothing.” Douglas Alexander, International Development Secretary, UK Government
On 22 October at a meeting with inter-national donors, the Ethiopian government made a plea for emergency food aid from the international community.
This represents a change from Ethiopia’s previous stance that the government had the situation under control and the international community was exaggerating the extent of the food crisis. The figure used by the international community included critical and non-critical beneficiaries of food aid, which the government felt was misleading due to coverage received by the latter group under the government’s Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP). This appeal by the Ethiopian government is consistent with recent requests by numerous aid agencies for assistance to overcome a growing food crisis in Ethiopia and East Africa as a whole.
According to Oxfam, “more than 23 million people......are being pushed towards severe hunger and destitution across East Africa. In Ethiopia 13.7 million people are at risk of severe hunger and need assistance.” This figure combines both those targeted by emergency food assistance (roughly 6.2 million) and those covered by the PSNP.
The international community has already begun to respond to these warnings. Oxfam had made an emergency appeal for GBP 9.5 million (about USD 15 million) from the UK public to provide food aid to drought-stricken East Africa, particularly Ethiopia. The UK Department for International Development (DFID) announced on 06 October that an emergency donation of GBP 30 million will be used to address the Ethiopian food crisis. Another GBP 9 million will be donated to Kenya and Somalia, which face a varying degree of food shortages.
In positive health-related news, cases of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) continue to decline throughout the country. Just one month ago AWD and cholera were rapidly spreading and many feared a national crisis; while the danger is not yet over, a concerted effort by the Ethiopian government and humanitarian agencies has significantly improved the situation.

POTENTIAL POLITICAL PROGRESS IN ETHIOPIA
The Ethiopian government requires all parties to agree to the election Code of Conduct, drafted by the National Electoral Board (NEB), as a precursor to any negotiations on the electoral process. Opponents see this as locking themselves into a rigged system that is controlled by the EPRDF.
On 12 October, the Forum for Democratic Dialogue (FDD) announced that it would likely not boycott the June 2010 election. The FDD (Medrek in Amharic), a coalition of opposition parties and notable former politicians, is considered by some political commentators as the group with the best chance to rival Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his ruling party, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Front (EPRDF).
The FDD has previously refused to take part in the government's Code of Conduct talks; however after meetings with British and American diplomats there are signs that talks between the two groups may soon be underway. These mediation efforts and the FDD’s announcement offer an opportunity to overcome the impasse between the EPRDF and its opposition parties, born out of mistrust between the two groups.
The government needs opposition parties to participate in the election to legitimize the process, and the election provides the only possibility for opposition parties to provide a challenge to the ruling party. However, suspicion among the parties still runs high and engagement by the international community must continue.
It should be cautioned that while op-position participation in the election is encouraging for promoting democratic practice in Ethiopia, it does not necessarily address another serious concern: the potential for violence leading up to and during the election period. To read the entire report, please click here