§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the extent of the food shortage in Ethiopia(a) in absolute terms and (b) by comparison with December 2002; and what measures are being taken to improve the situation. [148090]
§ Hilary BennIn December 2003, the Government of Ethiopia appealed for food assistance for 7.2 million people, amounting to 964,690 metric tonnes of cereal. This is a 45 per cent. reduction from the 13.2 million people requiring relief in December 2002.
However, there is unlikely to be any overall shortage of food in Ethiopia during 2004. Some five to six million people require assistance every year even without shocks such as drought. For this group, we are working with Government to develop a safety net that will provide timely and sufficient resources to not only save lives but help people become more productive.
1400WWe also work with Government and others to promote long-term development and sustainably reduce vulnerability to shock. For example, we are expanding local level roads to improve access to markets and supporting the development of vulnerable groups such as pastoralists.