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Democracy and Governance in Ethiopia
The 2002-2003 drought fully demonstrated the fragility of Ethiopia’s social
and economic condition. With 21% of its 71 million people requiring food and other forms of emergency
assistance, the country was on the verge of one of the worst famines in its history. The United States
provided approximately one million metric tons of food, which together with nonfood relief assistance
totaled about $550 million.
The current emergency in Ethiopia is reflected in the severe malnutrition and excess mortality that exists
due to prolonged drought conditions and the deteriorated health and livelihood status of the population
that prevents communities from responding to previous and subsequent economic and climatic shocks.
In 2004 and 2005, most of the vulnerable population, which is still recovering from cumulative shocks over
the past three years, will require substantial and continued emergency food, health, agriculture, and cash
assistance.
Despite the pressures of coping with chronic food insecurity and droughts in 1999/2000 and 2002/2003,
the Government of Ethiopia (GFDRE) has pursued the development and implementation of its
Sustainable Development Poverty Reduction Program (SDPRP). In addition, the GFDRE has also
established the National Coalition for Food Security (NCFS) program that incorporates lessons learned in
famine prevention and provides a strategy to combat poverty and food insecurity while laying the
foundations for sustainable development. This effort has provoked high-level interest among international
donors. The G-8 Group of Industrialized Countries recognizes famine as an important issue and will pay
particular attention to it at the USG-hosted G-8 meetings in July 2004. Donors have applauded the
GFDRE’s efforts and expressed an interest in and commitment to helping the GFDRE find solutions to the
root causes of food security and famine. The USG must match the commitment of the GFDRE and other
donors to address the problems of the most drought prone country in Africa, if not the world. This will
require rural development, broad economic growth, a mobilized private sector, and improved health and
other social services to increase economic and social resiliency.
USAID contributes directly to the achievement of U.S. Government objectives in Ethiopia as outlined in
the State Department/USAID Joint Strategic Plan. U.S. national interests in Ethiopia include:
counterterrorism; economic prosperity and security; democracy and human rights; and regional stability.
(Excerpted from the 2005 Congressional Budget Justification for Ethiopia)
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