Hunger
Hunger
Hunger
HUNGER
Is it possible to eliminate world hunger?
WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE HUNGRY?
CHECK IT OUT
Watch a video on the Feed the Future Campaign: http://www.feedthefuture.gov/video/feed-future-turning-tide-global-hunger
Read a report on global hunger: http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/ghi12.pdf
HUNGER AROUND THE WORLD
CHECK IT OUT
Read more about the global food crisis: www.un.org/issues/food/taskforce
Learn more about world hunger: www.wfp.org/hunger
WHY IS THERE HUNGER IN ETHIOPIA?
HISTORY
Ethiopia is one of the oldest countries in
the world. It was the place where scientists
?
a brief Italian occupation from 1936 to
1941. Despite its celebrated past, decades
found Lucy, one of the oldest known, of political instability, dictatorship, and
complete, fossilized human skeletons. environmental degradation have left Ethiopia
Fossils found in Ethiopia have been dated one of the poorest countries in the world.
to over four million years old. A series of
In 1998, a border dispute with Eritrea led
monarchies ruled Ethiopia until 1995, when
ETHIOPIA to a serious conflict. Although a peace
the first democratic elections took place.
agreement ended the conflict in 2000,
One of Africas most famous leaders was
an ongoing border dispute with Somalia
Emperor Haile Selassie, who ruled Ethiopia
threatens to destabilize the region further.
from 1930 to 1974.
Additionally, cycles of droughts and floods
Ethiopia was the only country in Africa continue to hinder Ethiopias development
that Europe did not colonize, except for and growth.
Ethiopia Country
Information DID YOU KNOW?
LOCATION: East Africa
Ethiopia is the birthplace of
coffee.
CAPITAL: Addis Ababa
POPULATION: 87 million
It is the second most
populous country in Africa.
SIZE: Nearly twice the size of Texas
It is home to more than 80
LANGUAGE: Amharic
languages with over 200
ETHNIC GROUPS: Oromo, Amara, dialects.
Tigraway, Somali, Guragie, Sidama,
and Welaita The Ethiopian calendar has
13 months.
RELIGIONS: Christian 62 percent,
Muslim 34 percent, other 33 percent Since 1960, Ethiopian
LIFE EXPECTANCY: 60 years
runners have set many world
records and have received
CHILD MORTALITY RATE: 106 deaths/ 45 Olympic medals, including
1,000 live births 21 gold medals.
ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER: 45 percent
LITERACY RATE: 39 percent
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT: 55 percent
POPULATION LIVING ON LESS THAN
$1.25/DAY: 39 percent For peace, for justice, for the freedom of peoples.
POPULATION UNDERNOURISHED: In equality and in love we stand united.
46 percent National Anthem of Ethiopia
CHILDREN UNDER 5 WHO ARE
UNDERNOURISHED: 34 percent
KEY EXPORTS: Coffee, beeswax,
sugarcane Hunger has plagued the country for many years and for
Sources: UN Human Development Report, many reasons.
UN Water Report, and CIA World Factbook
Agriculture has suffered due to prolonged a devastating impact. Each year,
droughts and a lack of irrigation systems. between six and 13 million people are
A growing population also requires at risk of extreme hunger. Furthermore,
an increasing supply of food. Since the worsening economic situation has
85 percent of the population earns their left Ethiopians with little money for food
income from agriculture, droughts have and development.
CHECK IT OUT
Research information about Ethiopia: www.ethiopianembassy.org
Read more about Emperor Haile Selassie: www.imperialethiopia.org/selassie.htm
HOW CAN WE BEST SOLVE THIS
CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA?
Meet Eshtu
COMMUNITY-BASED MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE
Eshtu lives in the Dessie Zuria
region of Ethiopia. In Dessie Zuria, MALNUTRITION (CMAM)
the main crop has historically been
In 2001, Concern and partner Valid reach help. Everything changed with the
barley, but the growth of barley
International pioneered a new approach to CMAM approach, which enabled Concern to
is very dependent on the rainfall.
treat severely malnourished children. Up train and supply community health workers
Unfortunately, this area often faces
until this time, nurses and doctors treated with a new product known as Ready-to-Use
droughts. Therefore, Concern
introduced apples and potatoes children in hospitals or treatment facilities Therapeutic Food (such as peanut paste)
as alternative crops because called Therapeutic Feeding Centers. The for severely malnourished children. Now,
they grow better in droughts and centers were expensive to run because community health workers are able to provide
also cost more, which increases children were given 24-hour care for up a weekly supply to the mothers, who can then
farmers incomes when they sell to 30 days. Although they were built in treat their children from home. CMAM has
them in markets. centrally located places, families who lived been so successful that it has been adopted
far away were forced to travel for days to by the UN and World Health Organization.
Eshtu has been working with
Concern and became an apple
farmer three years ago. After
Concern provided him with the Meet Said
tools and training to farm apples, Said Mohammed is 32 years old. He supports
things began improving for Eshtu. his family with income he earns from
The future is very bright, he says. farming. Like many Ethiopians, Said relied on
I am flexible and try to adapt to rainfall to water his crops and risked losing
new farming methods and use new everything in times of floods or drought.
research to my benefit. I am sharing Four years ago, he harvested only corn from
my new farming knowledge with his land, which was not enough to meet his
my friends and they are learning familys needs. As a result, he had to sell all
from my experience. of his animals.
Eshtu is an excellent example of how Fortunately, Saids land fell within an area
training a few community members selected for irrigation in a joint venture by
can lead to the improvement of an the government of Ethiopia and Concern
entire community as they share Worldwide. In this program, irrigation canals
their experiences with one another. were built to channel rainwater into fields.
Irrigation enabled Said to plant earlier and
harvest more crops, including tomatoes,
onions, and peppers. With the money he earned, he bought two camels and built a
When spider webs unite, new house for his family. Said stated, We eat more vegetables now from our land.
they can tie up a lion.
Said is one of 12,000 farmers who have participated in Concerns irrigation
Ethiopian proverb
programs. Projects such as this one provide a true-life example of how
governments, communities, and organizations can work together to break the
cycle of poverty and hunger.
CHECK IT OUT
Learn more about hunger in Ethiopia: http://www.wfp.org/countries/Ethiopia/News/Hunger-in-the-news
Play an interactive game: http://www.wfp.org/get-involved/ways-to-help
HOW CAN WE ELIMINATE HUNGER?
EXPLORING SOLUTIONS
We have enough food to feed everyone
on the planet. Yet, in every corner of the
?
new technology has the potential to end
world hunger. However, there is a debate
world there are people who are unable to on whether or not these foods may have
lead healthy, active lives because they do adverse effects on ones health, or may
not have adequate food. There are many create new allergies and other unintended
complex political, economic, and social consequences. Is donating or encouraging
factors that contribute to global hunger poor countries to grow GM food the answer
and, as a result, there are no easy solutions. to world hunger?
DEBATE IT
With so many challenges to overcome, do you think we can
eliminate hunger?
?
Hunger is man-made. What
misguided policies have
caused, better focused policies
can undo.
Olivier De Schutter,
UN Special Rapporteur
CAN WE ELIMINATE HUNGER? on the Right to Food
CHECK IT OUT!
Watch our student-narrated
Hunger in Ethiopia video:
www.concernusa.org/gcc/
medialibrary/
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES
HUNGER ETHIOPIA Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Famine Early Warning BBC News www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.
Systems Network www.bbc.co.uk/news/world- shtml
www.fews.net africa-13349398 Roadmap to End Global Hunger
International Food Policy Human Rights Watch usa.wfp.org/sites/default/files/u-22/
Research Institute www.hrw.org/doc?t=africa&c=ethiop roadmap_0.pdf
www.ifpri.org Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Joint Statement on Community-
Free Rice Game www.mfa.gov.et Based Management of Severe Acute
www.freerice.com Malnutrition
Mountain Voices
www.who.int/nutrition/topics/statement_
Friends of the World www.mountainvoices.org/ethiopia.asp commbased_malnutrition/en/index.html
Food Program
UNICEF
www.friendsofwfp.org
www.unicef.org/infobycountry/ethiopia.html
Reuters Alertnet CONCERN WORLDWIDE US, INC
www.alertnet.org/db/topics/ CAMPAIGNS www.concernusa.org
HUNGER.htm
One Campaign
355 Lexington Avenue
www.one.org
ORGANIZATIONS 19th Floor
Results New York, NY 10017
Food and Agriculture Organization
www.results.org 212-557-8000
of the United Nations
www.fao.org World Food Day
www.worldfooddayusa.org 332 South Michigan Avenue
United States Department Suite 630
of Agriculture Chicago, IL 60604
www.usda.gov
DOCUMENTS
312-431-8400
International Food Policy Research
World Food Program
Institute Global Hunger Index
www.wfp.org
www.ifpri.org/ghi/2012 Global Concerns Classroom
World Health Organization
State of the Worlds Food Insecurity
www.who.int @concernGCC
http://www.fao.org/publications/sofi/en/
This publication is intended to inform readers about the issue of hunger and does not necessarily
reflect the views of Concern Worldwide U.S. Inc. or Concern Worldwide on this issue.
Concern Worldwide does not officially recommend or endorse any of these organizations.
Concern Worldwide U.S. Inc. is a New York not-for-profit corporation exempt from Federal
income taxation under section 501(c)(3). Concern Worldwide U.S. Inc. supports projects
carried out in the field by Concern Worldwide, registered in Ireland.
This publication was written and produced in 2003, updated in 2008 and 2013.
Photo credits: front cover, page 4, page 5 bottom, Caroline Irby; page 3, Kim Haughton;
page 5 top, page 6 bottom, Jennifer OGorman; page 6 top, back cover, Liam Burke, Press 22;
page 7, David Conachy/Sunday Independent. All photos: Ethiopia, Concern Worldwide.