UN spearheads campaign to end food dependency

Ethiopia has reached a “major turning point” in tackling its chronic food shortages, the head of the United Nations in the country stated on Monday. Sam Nyambi, who heads the UN’s Development Programme (UNDP), said “new efforts” were needed to overcome the massive hurdles that spark recurrent food crises in Ethiopia. His rallying call comes after continuous high level talks in the capital between international and Ethiopian experts over the last six weeks on how to reverse decades of dependency. "We need to do business differently to address the challenge of rural livelihoods and food security, and we believe that the new coalition is the right way forward," said Nyambi. “The forum was a major turning point in the country's efforts to find a lasting solution to the issue of chronic food insecurity,” he added. Among key experts at the summit were officials from the World Bank and US Agency for International Development (USAID). They aim to slash food dependency in famine stricken Ethiopia "within two to three years”. During the 1990s, Ethiopia reduced the percentage of its 67 million people who are undernourished from 59 percent to 44 percent, the UN stated. But both the government and international donors admit far more has to be done to avert emergencies like the current famine which has hit 13.2 million people. The new task force – which has been urged by non-governmental organisations to take radical steps in tackling the food crisis – is currently preparing a package of proposals. Among key ideas are improving livelihoods, agricultural and livestock production, access to food, safety net and asset protection, and marketing agricultural products. The experts are also working on implementation strategies and budgeting, access to land for voluntary resettlement of families in drought-prone areas, and health and nutrition. The work is scheduled to be completed in late September with donors holding talks in November to raise funds for backing the strategies. “This is a significant new development, coming at a time when the government's commitment to long-term food security and that of other stakeholders requires new efforts, given the repeated cycles of food appeals and the increasing frequency of droughts,” Nyambi concluded.