Custom Design Lax Pinnines

UN says Ethiopia, drought doubles number in need of aid

Friday, June 13, 2008 16:59

GENEVA (Reuters) - Drought in Ethiopia has caused food shortages and mortality of livestock and has doubled the number of people needing urgent humanitarian aid, which now comes to nearly 5 million. The United Nations said today.
"The seasonal rains have been scarce and have not reached many parts of Ethiopia with dramatic effects on harvests in the areas of agricultural production," said Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs United Nations.
The UN is trying to raise $ 325 million to bring in the southern regions of Ethiopia bordering Somalia and Kenya - the hardest hit by the crisis - about 400 thousand tons of food aid, medicine and other assistance.
About 4.6 million people now need help, against the estimated number of 2.2 million before the drought - Byrs said - while there are about 75 thousand children who already suffer from severe malnutrition and diseases caused by lack of water .
As reported to the UN, the drought has worsened the situation of the poorest sections of the population in the African country, already in the grip of the global price of cereals and other foods.

© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights assigned to Reuters.

2008 Camouflage Dixie Chopper

LETTER FROM Shashemane - 11/06/2008

----- Original Message ----- Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:59:25 +0200
From: madeleine cardia nenna74@live.com
To: "veronicamm@t-online.de" veronicamm@t-online.de

I'm back .... hello! Here everything continues to go well, despite the famine that is known in all corners of Shashemane little face in the baby's bones and skin in the looks of their desperate mothers. I have a lot of things to tell you, but I really do not know where to start if not by the beauty of these people that makes us forget for a moment the personal and collective tragedies. My typical day is: Monday to Friday morning, I go by the Sisters de Foucauld who are on the outskirts of a slum or "slums" where we feed the poorest of the poor. Among others, some are also 2 hours walk and what we give them is the only meal of the day, the children are all barefoot and dirty, their face is smeared with tears, snot and flies which are the most hideous mask, However, they do not even drive away. I squeeze the heart every time. Last week a child died before me. But life goes on you can not stop to think, there's so much life that you can save the child and the parents seemed almost relieved because she has ceased to suffer. The community of the mission is open to all, Catholic and Muslim, Orthodox and non-believers. At noon back in the house for guests of the mission, also to take stock of the situation with Father Silvio (an actual saint) and at about 15:00 I go to the Women's Promotion Centre where I am teaching English and home economics, and where ... I'm learning to embroider even hear of them. All this three afternoons a week while others spend three afternoons with the children of the family home, play, chat, do after school ... Even yesterday we were able to get all 55 to take a bath with hot springs, a true paradise. But I was ashamed because I was dressed very much! I'm sleeping like a log ... but many insects have not yet seen cockroaches thankfully! I embrace you strong ... give my all.