20092008, week 3

I wanted to look at some of the current crises that were affecting Ethiopia at the moment. I found two articles that were focused on the same problem: the drought affecting them at the moment. The first article is Ethiopian Children face starvation (http://bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7449523.stm,) and was published June 11, 2008. I had already known that Ethiopia was known as a country who had problems collecting water as well as food, but I did not realize that 4.5 million people were critically affected.  It especially worries me knowing that there is a high risk for children five years and under. This basically is holding Ethiopia's development. Since Ethiopia is so focused on fixing the drought, the country cannot move forward. The children also cannot receive an education and die at a young edge. This famine is stopping Ethiopia's future.

The second article was published yesterday, Ethiopian needy 'not getting aid' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7624466.stm) I chose to read this one because it is so recent, as well as focusing on the problem I previously mentioned above. It seems that the problem is not going to be disappearing any time soon. "only 41% of the food allocated for July has reached its intended recipients." It does seem efficient, but less than fifty percent actually reaching those who need it. This makes me wonder: Does this mean some other people are also getting food that don't need  it? I also think about an old saying, often repeated very often: "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, feed him for life." Would a better solution be growing a food that is sustainable in their environment? 

This is a Time Magazine cover from 1987. As you may see, it is about when there was a famine. I see that this may be a cycle, so why are we just donating food? Why can't we get then ready for the future famines as well?