Ethiopia (Famine) (Hansard, 24 October 1973)

§ Mr. Wood

Her Majesty's Government heard in August of the seriousness of the drought situation, and in response to a request from the Ethiopian Government we provided a grant of £25,000 as an initial contribution to immediate relief measures. Some of this is being used for a "Food for Work" programme among the Afar nomads in Wollo Province. In the light of our wider knowledge of the situation, I have now allocated a further £75,000 to relief measures. A consignment of ingredients for children's food is being sent by air to Addis Ababa this week, and I am urgently considering other ways of helping, for example, by the provision of medical supplies and extensions of the "Food for Work" programme. I also have very much in mind the need to help the Ethiopian Government to try to prevent disasters like this recurring. In addition to those grants, the grant/loan of £5 million, made to the Ethiopian Government earlier this year, is available for such measures. Projects with this longer-term objective are being discussed with the Ethiopian authorities. Our embassy in Ethiopia is also in close touch with the British voluntary societies which are engaged in relief work.