For the first time in history we have more than 11 million people in need of food and the distribution of food is being cut off.
Even though the United States take care of the food needs of about 4.5 million people throughout Ethiopia we can only supply them with about 15kg's of food per person a month. But, in 2003 the U.S. government decided to reduce food rations to 12.5kg's because of the lack of food available. When reducing their food distribution the number of those affected by hunger went up and those already affected are dying off. The main vulnerable groups in Ethiopia are pheasants, children and the elderly. Because they are the most in need of help we provide them with wheat, corn and Soya blend; a fortified nutritious blend given to those who are vulnerable so that they can recover from malnutrition.
With the climate being very unpredictable it is hard to keep up with the food production because ninety percent of it depends on the rainfalls, which do not happen often. Since Ethiopia is in the equatorial zone, the weather is affected by altitude more than by any other single factor and because of this the weather conditions in this country have always had a huge impact on everyone and everything. While there have already been massive livestock losses, because of the high temperatures, the droughts are also scorching pastures and drying up these people's water supplies. In view of the fact that food is not always available, farmers and herders are forced to resort to more desperate measures. Such measures as selling their belongings to buy food and also, if things get worse, they might even have to start migrating from the drought areas into the main towns. These sudden actions are expected to increase if distribution of food aid remains unequal (Quoted in Conflict in Somalia and Ethiopia).
Some farmers because of these devastating climate conditions are seeing total failure of their harvests and drought is not only affecting their food production, it is having a demoralizing impact on all communities.
