20 Million Plus People in Ethiopia Rely on Food Assistance From The Rest of the World

More than 20 million people in Ethiopia rely on food assistance. A persistent drought and conflict have made food scarcity even worse. Relief was coming in but hundreds of people in Ethiopia who were distributing the food got caught stealing it. So relief ended because of Ethiopian corruption.

So what to do about 20 Million Plus people starving? If anything is done, the Ethiopian side is so full of corruption and theft that food won't get through. Should food distribution resume and an international group take over the distribution in Ethiopia? Or should the whole thing be ignored and the Ethiopians left to their own devices, afterall they are the ones killing each other in conflict and having children when they are starving and can't take care of them?

What to do, if anything?

Tigray Food Crisis Deepens

Widespread starvation is being reported in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, an area that was embattled in a brutal conflict from 2020 to 2022 that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.

The BBC reported Friday that at least 1,400 people have starved to death in Tigray since food assistance from the U.N.’s World Food Programme (WFP), the global humanitarian organization addressing food security, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was suspended about four months ago. The suspension came about after it was revealed by Tigrayan authorities that nearly 500 people had been stealing the food, including government officials and nongovernmental organization staff.

“We simply could not turn a blind eye to the criminal activity and continue to deliver,” a WFP spokesperson told the BBC this week.

Overall, more than 20 million people in Ethiopia rely on food assistance. A persistent drought has made food scarcity even worse.

BBC News

Tigray was hit by a brutal conflict in 2020, causing famine-like conditions.

The conflict ended last November after the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) signed a peace deal brokered by the African Union (AU).

Eritrean troops fought in the conflict on the side of the Ethiopian army.

For much of the war the region was under blockade, which largely halted humanitarian aid.

AU envoy, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, said around 600,000 people died in the two-year conflict. Researchers put the hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths down to fighting, starvation and lack of health care.

It's insanity. Remember a couple of years ago when the UN and the WHO put out some numbers that it would take $6.6 billion to feed the 40 million plus starving people in the world. And there was even chatter that Elon Musk might donate that 6 billion and solve world hunger?

And here we are 2 years later and not one world billionaire has donated anything, as far as we know. Because if they did, all these people wouldn't be starving and we'd know about it. And billionaires are pretty good about telling us when they help out.

Nothing will change. We'll keep singing songs like Rich Men North of Richmond, because that's what we do. Getting rich and staying rich is what they do. They won't help anyone. They didn't get so rich by helping others.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Isn't this Bill and Melinda Gates territory?

Word is, Bill is currently researching and developing a "hunger vaccine" that'll eliminate hunger for generations not to come.

It's the golden age of pioneering profiteers!! Rejoice! We'll all be neutered like shelter rescues soon enough!

a reply to: Mahogany

It's insanity. Remember a couple of years ago when the UN and the WHO put out some numbers that it would take $6.6 billion to feed the 40 million plus starving people in the world. And there was even chatter that Elon Musk might donate that 6 billion and solve world hunger?

Yeah this was insane, still is. Not only is it a bold demand by people, it also is a flat out lie. It would not "solve" world hunger. Do the math:

6 600 000 000$ / 40 000 000people = 165$/person.

How long can you eat for 165$? So that chatter is just that, chatter. And you also can not put infrastructure in place for 165$/person to produce food for the future.

And here we are 2 years later and not one world billionaire has donated anything, as far as we know. Because if they did, all these people wouldn't be starving and we'd know about it. And billionaires are pretty good about telling us when they help out.

See above why...

originally posted by: TDDAgain
a reply to: Mahogany

It's insanity. Remember a couple of years ago when the UN and the WHO put out some numbers that it would take $6.6 billion to feed the 40 million plus starving people in the world. And there was even chatter that Elon Musk might donate that 6 billion and solve world hunger?

Yeah this was insane, still is. Not only is it a bold demand by people, it also is a flat out lie. It would not "solve" world hunger. Do the math:

6 600 000 000$ / 40 000 000people = 165$/person.

How long can you eat for 165$? So that chatter is just that, chatter. And you also can not put infrastructure in place for 165$/person to produce food for the future.

And here we are 2 years later and not one world billionaire has donated anything, as far as we know. Because if they did, all these people wouldn't be starving and we'd know about it. And billionaires are pretty good about telling us when they help out.

See above why...

That's about what an American gets monthly as food aid. SNAP benefits, right? About $200 a month.

In a third world country that could last 10 times longer. So that 6.6 billion might feed that 40 million starving people for almost a year.

That's something right? Imagine feeding the starving people of the world for one year, giving ample time for another billionaire or entity to step in and cover the next year. And then the next one. And the next one.

It would make an ENORMOUS difference.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Those paying the price are never the ones causing the problem.
That right there is the issue.
You can't read/see/hear about it without naturally wanting to help, but it's basically the same principle (but worse) as with puppy-mills, you're not helping you ensure that the practice becomes an institution.

If the West would want to do anything than it might be a great start to actually make sure that one's associated NGOs, companies, envoys, etc are actually upholding the standards we love to claim we have.

Be it from state (Germany where I know it for sure) help where it is actually outsourcing and modernising farm activity which in summary leads to loss of opportunity and wealth for the natives.
NGOs which are often not as great as you want them to be simply because they rely on native workers with very differnt standards like UNHCR in Lybia where people looking for help get turned away with the words: filthy slave.
'Donations' from companies in f.e. Netherlands who basically just send their IT trash to schools in Ghana, which doesn't even work, which is technically illegal, but who persecutes that?

... and in general: I am also a flight personality type so I have to some extent sympathy, but running away doesn't fix anything.
I mean the people need to realise there is a better way to organize, which we as the West also obviously haven't figured out yet, and from there a political system that somehow makes corruption impossible, but that is...
Utopia

a reply to: Mahogany

It would make an ENORMOUS difference.

For one year.

As hard as it may sound, it changes nothing in the long run and makes things more troubling down the road. To cold hard reality is: Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach him to catch fish, feed him for life. If there is no fish to catch, the man will die no matter what.

There is a economic and ecologic reasons these people are in the trouble they are. Let's not act like the mechanics are not known.

All I am saying is that these calls for charity towards the rich are short sighted. I myself give in charity and personally, it's never enough to give but acting like a payment from a rich person changes anything other than temporary money flow, is short sighted.

a reply to: Mahogany

I get it, but it’s not a billionaires place to bail the world out so the corruption can continue. It would be a very expensive temporary solution. They’ve been fighting hunger in Ethiopia way before Sally Struthers PSA. With all the farming technology, donations and brilliant minds…yet nothing.

I don’t believe sending more money is the answer, I would guess their government and corporate interests are controlling the land. If their own government refuses to take care of it a billionaire wouldn’t be allowed to.

a reply to: TheLieWeLive

These governments are mostly corrupt, too, a byproduct of the circumstances living in a poverty ridden land.

I just read where in Haiti, 93% of the population suffers from food insecurity.

It is tremendously sad to know that people throughout the world are suffering. And for me even more so as I work in a school cafeteria where the food is good but much gets thrown in the garbage. If it isn't burgers and pizza, the kids aren't interested. Regardless, it's been proven, monies given in aid to these areas are only pocketed by those in charge.

Because of the global economy and the natural and manmade disasters happening, I fear the issues will only be compounded due to lack of food and it's going to be a sad year.

I don't know how we can help so many hungry and helpless, especially when it isn't only in a centralized locale. It truly is a damn shame.

originally posted by: TheLieWeLive
a reply to: Mahogany

I get it, but it’s not a billionaires place to bail the world out so the corruption can continue. It would be a very expensive temporary solution. They’ve been fighting hunger in Ethiopia way before Sally Struthers PSA. With all the farming technology, donations and brilliant minds…yet nothing.

I don’t believe sending more money is the answer, I would guess their government and corporate interests are controlling the land. If their own government refuses to take care of it a billionaire wouldn’t be allowed to.

Agreed, and we'd be foolish to expect them to contribute back to the society. It's not as if the society made them rich. The rich people don't need the internet, or the airplanes, or the roads and the trains that we all paid for and built the infrastructure for. They just suddenly fell into money that came from nowhere, and there are two things that should not happen: 1. It is not their responsibility to give any back and 2. We shouldn't tax them equally as us, because so many reasons.

Seriously though, this donation to feed the poor was just an idea that could have helped a lot of people. Nobody forced anyone to give anything and nobody gave anything. It was all just hypothetical it turns out.

But imagine if it wasn't a donation, imagine if we just invested there. Imagine if Tyson, or some big billionaire food manufacturer said: Hey let's open up a huge chicken farm and factory in Africa. We are going to invest in it and we know it won't be profitable, we know it won't make the money an American market would but it will feed nations, give jobs and lift up people. We still own the factory, the animals, the production lines, everything, we're just sacrificing the extra profit we could have made in the US to help out there.

That's not even a donation, that's just trading profit to help out. How many big billionaires and their corporations are doing this?

Rhetorical question. It's zero.

originally posted by: TDDAgain
a reply to: Mahogany

It's insanity. Remember a couple of years ago when the UN and the WHO put out some numbers that it would take $6.6 billion to feed the 40 million plus starving people in the world. And there was even chatter that Elon Musk might donate that 6 billion and solve world hunger?

Yeah this was insane, still is. Not only is it a bold demand by people, it also is a flat out lie. It would not "solve" world hunger. Do the math:

6 600 000 000$ / 40 000 000people = 165$/person.

How long can you eat for 165$? So that chatter is just that, chatter. And you also can not put infrastructure in place for 165$/person to produce food for the future.

And here we are 2 years later and not one world billionaire has donated anything, as far as we know. Because if they did, all these people wouldn't be starving and we'd know about it. And billionaires are pretty good about telling us when they help out.

See above why...

About 2-5 months in Ethiopia. The average annual income is about $1,020.00 and that is shared by the whole family. So depending on how many people in the family and what other bills they have..... But we all know billionaires aren't going to step up.

The US donated 1.8 billion in 2022 but there is so much corruption they stopped until they could confirm the money is going to where it's supposed to. But Ethiopia was budgeted to receive 780 million US dollars in 2023. The EU donated 82 million in 2023 and 31 million in 2022.

Not enough but it's been so many decades that Ethiopia has been receiving aid and no real solutions to their problems, which seem to be unsolvable at this point.

originally posted by: Mahogany
Imagine feeding the starving people of the world for one year, giving ample time for another billionaire or entity to step in and cover the next year. And then the next one. And the next one..

Imagine if the Ethiopians stopped killing themselves in conflicts and quit having kids while they were starving. But common sense is too much to ask for in this world. COLD I know, but true.

a reply to: Mahogany

Imagine people not having more kids than they can afford to feed.

originally posted by: StoutBroux

originally posted by: TDDAgain
a reply to: Mahogany

It's insanity. Remember a couple of years ago when the UN and the WHO put out some numbers that it would take $6.6 billion to feed the 40 million plus starving people in the world. And there was even chatter that Elon Musk might donate that 6 billion and solve world hunger?

Yeah this was insane, still is. Not only is it a bold demand by people, it also is a flat out lie. It would not "solve" world hunger. Do the math:

6 600 000 000$ / 40 000 000people = 165$/person.

How long can you eat for 165$? So that chatter is just that, chatter. And you also can not put infrastructure in place for 165$/person to produce food for the future.

And here we are 2 years later and not one world billionaire has donated anything, as far as we know. Because if they did, all these people wouldn't be starving and we'd know about it. And billionaires are pretty good about telling us when they help out.

See above why...

About 2-5 months in Ethiopia. The average annual income is about $1,020.00 and that is shared by the whole family. So depending on how many people in the family and what other bills they have..... But we all know billionaires aren't going to step up.

So, that's right then. If an average Ethiopian family makes a thousand in a whole year, it means a whole family lives on about $200-300 of food for the entire year.

It means one person could live on that $165 for almost two years. Maybe longer.

That's a whole lot of help $6.6 billion could do.

a reply to: FlyersFan
While the many kids do not add to aid the situations, it is unfair to bluntly state it like you did, especially from a position like yours or mine.

Can you hold someone at fault for something they never had the chance to learn, know or experienced? It's easy to speak from an educated background and judge.

originally posted by: TDDAgain
It's easy to speak from an educated background and judge.

I'm not judging. I'm saying that they aren't helping themselves.
It can't all be on foreign governments to keep 20 million people alive.
They've got to do some of the lifting as well.

But seriously, I remember hearing about the Ethiopian famon since I was a kid. Feed the World and all that. 40+ years and the problem hasn't been fixed by man.

originally posted by: Mahogany
It's insanity. Remember a couple of years ago when the UN and the WHO put out some numbers that it would take $6.6 billion to feed the 40 million plus starving people in the world. And there was even chatter that Elon Musk might donate that 6 billion and solve world hunger?

And here we are 2 years later and not one world billionaire has donated anything, as far as we know. Because if they did, all these people wouldn't be starving and we'd know about it. And billionaires are pretty good about telling us when they help out.

Nothing will change. We'll keep singing songs like Rich Men North of Richmond, because that's what we do. Getting rich and staying rich is what they do. They won't help anyone. They didn't get so rich by helping others.

We could give them the 6.6 billion instead of sending an additional 10 billion to Ukraine.

Just a thought. . . . .

Couple of things here:
One Musk asked the UN to tell him how the money could be used so that he could do it himself. He doesn't trust the UN, I don't blame him. In Africa UN peace keepers cause more issues then local officials do, and promote violence as well.

Second, and I think this is more of the issue here, who is preventing the people of Ethiopia from developing the deserts to grow foods? If we can grow an acre of food in a 40ft shipping container, then why hasn't that technology been exported to Ethiopia by the UN? There is a hidden hand at work there that hasn't been revealed. Don't say that it's the warlords either since we all know that it's pretty easy to remove an entire government from existence and replace it almost over-night.