Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Alert - Ethiopia - 1 / 2001
Ethiopia: Famine Relief
Geneva, 3 May, 2001


Over 6.2 million people in Ethiopia are in immediate need of food
assistance this year, according to the Ethiopian government. The
government has once more requested the international community to come to
its aid to provide food to the millions of people who are in danger of
starvation. Since 1998, Ethiopia has been experiencing severe drought as
both the short and the long rains have constantly failed causing
disastrous effect on crop production and livestock. The main reason for
the famine this year is the failure of the meher (long rain) along with
the failure of crops last year. Last year, 10.5 million people needed food
aid, a situation which was significantly worse than this year.

The Joint Relief Program (JRP) which is composed of ACT members; Ethiopian
Orthodox Church (EOC), the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus
(EECMY), and the Lutheran World Federation / Department of World Service
(LWF/DWS) Ethiopia, on one hand, and on the other the Caritas
International Network members; Ethiopia Catholic Church (ECC) and the
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) have submitted an appeal for 11,170 MT of
food to be distributed to 9 Woredas where JRP has programs. The JRP forum
in Ethiopia which on top of the above mentioned members also includes;
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), Dutch Inter Church Aid (DIA), Dan Church Aid
(DCA), and Bread for World (BFW) agreed that the joint appeal will be
issued to both the ACT and the Caritas International Networks. In the
appeal the members jointly ask for food aid, while in addition, the ACT
members have requested for non food item as well.

The total cost for the ACT/JRP 11,170 MT of food is estimated at US$5
million, while the non food items requested by the ACT members will cost
around US$816,000. The total appeal is for US$6.4 million.

We would appreciate your indication of interest in contributing to the
appeal.

Thank you for your attention.

For further information please contact:

ACT Co-ordinator, Thor-Arne Prois (phone ++41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone
++ 41 79 203 6055)
ACT Appeals Officer, John Nduna (phone +41 22 791 6040)


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Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide alliance of churches and
their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency
response.  The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of 
Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
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   Ecumenical Centre                          Phone: ++41-22-791.60.33
   150, route de Ferney                         Fax: ++41-22-791.65.06
   P.O. Box 2100                             E-Mail: act@wcc-coe.org
   1211 Geneva 2                              Telex: 415 730 OIK CH
   Switzerland                                 http://www.act-intl.org


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