§ 65. Mr. IllsleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest information he has received concerning the famine in Ethiopia.
§ 89. Ms. AbbottTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest information he has received on the famine in Ethiopia.
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§ 41. Mr. Harry BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest information he has received on the famine in Ethiopia.
§ Mrs. ChalkerMilitary activities continue to pose a serious obstacle to the relief effort and attempts to secure agreement on the reopening of the port of Massawa have so far proved unsuccessful. Nevertheless, the southern line operation from Assab to northern Wollo and Tigray is proceeding, with the co-operation of the Ethiopian Government and the rebel side; an airlift of emergency items for vulnerable groups in the Eritrean capital of Asmara is under way; and recent reports indicate that cross-border operations from Sudan are making a significant contribution to the supply of food. This provides grounds for limited optimism that it may prove possible to avoid the worst problems of mass starvation and mass migration, but the situation remains delicately balanced.
§ 67. Mr. MossTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Minister for Overseas Development discussed the situation in Ethiopia during her recent visit to the United States of America.
82. Mr. Robert G. HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on Ethiopia following the discussions of the right hon. Member for Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker) in the United States of America.
§ Mrs. ChalkerDuring my visit to the United States I discussed the situation in Ethiopia with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, with senior members of the United States Administration, and with Ministers and senior officials of other major donor countries, as well as with the Ethiopian Minister for Planning and the Commissioner for Relief and Rehabilitation. Throughout I stressed the need for early peace negotiations, and for the full co-operation of all parties in ensuring that relief supplies reach people in need in all parts of Ethiopia.
I welcomed the progress of the southern line operation for transporting food across the lines of conflict into northern Wello and Tigray. I emphasised, however, that this alone could not meet the full needs of northern Ethiopia, and that every effort should be made to negotiate arrangements for re-opening the port of Massawa for relief supplies. During my visit, I joined other donor Ministers in issuing the following statement of principles:
Statement of principles for humanitarian relief efforts in Ethiopia
We, the representatives of Canada, the European Community and its Member States, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States of America, do hereby call upon all parties to the conflict to observe strictly the following principles to ensure speedy and effective humanitarian relief to the victims of drought and conflict in Ethiopia in order to prevent large-scale starvation.We strongly urge all parties to the conflict:
- 1. To suspend hostilities immediately to facilitate relief operations, bearing in mind that the situation of internal conflict is a major obstacle to the humanitarian relief effort;
- 2. To guarantee the safe-passage and facilitate distribution of humanitarian relief supplies via land, sea and air through neutral channels such as international organisations, churches and other NGO's;
- 3. To recognise the co-ordinating role of the United Nations in relation to the international humanitarian relief effort:
342 - 4. To ensure the availability of the relevant ports and airfields and the associated road links for humanitarian relief activities; and
- 5. To refrain from military attack on aircraft, ships and road vehicles delivering humanitarian supplies, thus ensuring the safe passage of food deliveries through all possible channels.
All humanitarian relief efforts by the international community will be undertaken fully respecting the principles adopted by the United Nations to govern such operations.
We call upon all donors to respond generously to all elements of the humanitarian relief program, including measures necessary to re-establish normal functioning of port and airfield facilities and associated road links.
Recalling that this situation of conflict is a major factor in the serious humanitarian situation in Ethiopia, we solemnly appeal most strongly to all parties to resume their efforts for peace and national reconciliation and to this end, to resolve outstanding procedural difficulties on the basis of flexibility, and to proceed to substantive negotiations with a view to achieving a lasting political settlement.
§ 66. Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Catholic Fund for Overseas Development and Save the Children Fund on the internal purchase programmes of the Relief Society of Tigray.
§ Mrs. ChalkerI have regular and valuable discussions with the main agencies involved in famine relief in Ethiopia, including CAFOD and Save the Children Fund. These have included the issue of internal purchase of food in Tigray. The conclusion we have reached is that we should continue to concentrate our assistance upon alternative means of providing food for those in need.