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FROM THE FIELD

Irrigation and Emergency Aid Help Ethiopians Survive Crop Crisis
19 Sep 2008 06:25:00 GMT
 Source: Catholic Relief Services (CRS) - USA
Debbie DeVoe, CRS Regional Information Officer, East Africa

Website: Website: http://www.crs.org

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Irrigated fields allow Ethiopians like Teklu Madgu to withstand droughts, giving them a source of food and income even if rain-fed crops fail.
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Irrigated fields allow Ethiopians like Teklu Madgu to withstand droughts, giving them a source of food and income even if rain-fed crops fail.
Photo by Debbie DeVoe/CRS

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TIGRAY, Ethiopia - As we crest the mountain top, a sweeping view of emerald fields, soaring mesas and scattered farms spreads in front of us. I've been told to expect scenery like Arizona, but it's still hard for me to believe this is Ethiopia. It's even more difficult to believe that the farmers in the distance are facing a critical food shortage.

As we wind down the hill though, we get a closer look at the fields and what Ethiopians call "green hunger." Corn stalks are one half the height they should be, and under the green tops are drooping brown leaves. Rip open an ear, and the inside rows of anemic kernels grin up like ghastly smiles of broken teeth spaced much too far apart.

A little further, we pass a field of wheat that looks like an abandoned meadow of prairie grass. "Complete crop failure," Alem Brhane says, shaking his head in dismay. A program coordinator with the Adigrat Catholic Secretariat for development projects supported by Catholic Relief Services, Brhane knows that these spindly sprouts mean the farmer will harvest absolutely nothing -- not even feed for his livestock.

A Growing Crisis

Drought in Ethiopia comes every few years. But in early 2008, a poor rainy season took many farmers by surprise, occurring in pockets where families are usually able to grow enough food. By May, thousands of children were showing signs of malnutrition as farming families were left with little or nothing to eat.

Resulting delays in planting long-cycle crops coupled with continued poor rains are now exacerbating the situation. Millions more farmers are facing potential crop failures during the upcoming October and November harvest -- drastically reducing expected food stores for the coming year.

"The food shortage in Ethiopia could get much worse," explains Lane Bunkers, CRS' country representative in Ethiopia. "Already, the government of Ethiopia and aid agencies have exhausted local supplies feeding those most in need. More food is needed as soon as possible to distribute to growing numbers of people facing empty cupboards and -- more concerning -- empty grain stores."

In early September, CRS signed a $53.4 million agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide almost 3 million drought-affected Ethiopians with 75,140 metric tons of food -- enough to fill an entire oceanic freighter. As CRS did in other critical emergencies, the agency will again lead the relief activities of six Joint Emergency Operational Plan consortium partners.

Shipments of sorghum, wheat, legumes, corn-soy blend and vegetable oil are already on their way, expected to begin arriving in late October. The consortium will transport and distribute the U.S.-donated food to people identified as being most in need.

CRS has also received three emergency grants totaling over $1.75 million from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. This funding has supported distributions of seeds in August and September to 16,000 farmers in need and will fund in coming months the rehabilitation, development and expansion of water sources in severely affected communities.

Defying Drought

Not all communities in drought-affected regions are facing hunger, however. Some have received precious bursts of rain that have kept their crops alive. Others have undertaken development projects to break out of the cycle of drought and despair.

"Though my rain-fed field crops will suffer, compared to others I won't be as affected as much by the drought because of this irrigation," says Leteyohanes Yohanes, a farmer in the village of Kokeb-Tsibah. For the past two years, Leteyohanes and her neighbors have been growing vegetables on small plots of land irrigated by a water system constructed with CRS' support. Her family now supplements their standard fare of barley, peas and beans with vegetables from their garden. She is also able to buy additional food and care for her parents using the income she earns selling any excess vegetables.

Teklu Madgu -- a spry 67-year-old father of eight -- practically jumps up and down when he explains the benefits irrigation has brought to his life. Running to show off his large garden, he explains how he now harvests vegetables three times a year. This last harvest alone despite the drought, Teklu earned about $155 selling tomatoes, green peppers, garlic, onions, beans, oranges and more -- in a country where the average annual income is estimated to be less than $125 per person. He used his most recent earnings to buy corn for his family to eat and to put down a down payment on a beehive to earn additional income.

In another village nearby, Yihdega Tesfay may be mute, but the smile that spreads across her face says it all. As she shows me her large hand-dug well and irrigated garden plot, Brhane explains that she cares for her three children alone. Due to the high premium she earns selling vegetables instead of more common grains, Yihdega can now afford to send her children to school. When she calls her eldest son over, her pride is palpable.

Helping Farmers Help Themselves

The government of Ethiopia and aid agencies must take every measure to help those facing hunger. As CRS waits for additional food shipments to arrive, the agency is working with USAID to move 1,500 metric tons of corn-soy blend from Djibouti for distribution in September to the elderly and to pregnant and nursing mothers in the most drought-affected regions.

CRS previously provided $125,000 of private funds to the Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat and $150,000 to the Missionaries of Charity to support emergency feedings and other services wherever needs are greatest.

But tomorrow can't be ignored.

"Communities where we have implemented long-term agricultural and irrigation projects over the years are withstanding the drought significantly better than their neighbors," CRS' Bunkers notes. "We will continue to do everything we can to provide emergency relief, and we also urge donors to fund long-term development projects to prevent future crises."


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Background information

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