The plight of millions of starving Ethiopians of all ages is well documented in recent reports of famine from the UN and international relief organizations. American Outreach to Ethiopia intends to sponsor the "Ethiopia Soup Line Project" with local Rotary partners and support groups in Addis Ababa to feed hungry Ethiopians in the neediest rural areas.
American Outreach to Ethiopia envisions establishing a direct link between American people and the people of Ethiopia in order to:
-share American abundance with those in need
-encourage and enable achievement and hope
-transform lives through deeds of kindness and love
-affect social and economic improvement
-foster international understanding and trust
-model creative caring involvement between nations
Ethiopia - An unfolding human tragedy
Mr. Rene' Lefort of Le Monde writes on March 25, 2009 that Millions of Ethiopians once again face misery and famine. Addis Abba's desire to project an image of a new dynamic country has led to callous denial of the reality.
"In 2008 famine struck Ethiopia. Now, at the start of 2009 it is looming again. According to the 'Humanitarian Requirements' released on 30 January 2009 by the government in Addis Ababa and their 'Humanitarian Partners', 13 million Ethiopians -one-sixth of the population -are in need of aid. For over 10 million of them the need is urgent. But food allocations have already been 'tentatively cancelled' or reduced. Relief is inadequate, as it has continued to be since the food crisis began in early 2008. The effects of its initial denial and then its consistent underestimation, which turned local production shortages into humanitarian catastrophes, are still being felt.
Earlier the Associated Press, on June 4, 2008, reported : "Around 4.5 million Ethiopians need emergency food aid ---1 million more than a previous estimate. The U.N. children's agency has characterized this year's food shortages as 'the worst since the major humanitarian crisis of 2003'.