Government urged to pledge more food

Ethiopia should pledge more food to show “leadership and commitment” in tackling the drought, the US government’s Famine Early Warning System (FEWS NET) has said. In a report on Wednesday, it said a larger food donation by the government would send a sign of its “commitment to the welfare of its people”. In the 2000 drought, the Ethiopian government pledged 100,000 mt of food, while so far this year it has committed 47,000 mt, the report noted. It said widespread poverty, the growing prevalence of HIV/AIDS, and millions more in need compared to previous years exacerbated food emergencies. It also warned that increased frequency of droughts, limited funds to tackle the root causes of food shortages and declining nutrition in the population made matters worse. “Actions taken now by the Ethiopian government and donor agencies will determine whether these pre-famine conditions can be mitigated over the next several months -- or develop into a full-fledged famine,” the report warned. Vital medical kits providing healthcare for almost a million people in some of the worst drought-affected areas were also donated on Thursday by the US government. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will distribute the kits in the hard-hit Oromia, Afar and Somali regions.