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That appears to be happening. Congress in February approved an additional $250 million in food aid for Africa. President Bush signed the bill February 20. Twenty-three relief agencies, Christian and otherwise, are already on the ground, responding to the crisis and pursuing long-term solutions to Ethiopia's persistent problems.

World Vision is one of many nonprofit groups trying to make a difference. It is working with Ethiopians on irrigation, housing, farmer credit, and agricultural projects. World Vision's Ethiopian director, Getachew Wolde Michael, said 300 World Vision employees live and work in the Ethiopian communities they serve. While the work is difficult, he said, "It gives you energy to help save people's lives."

Another agency, Project Mercy, is providing health, agricultural, educational, and vocational training in Yetebon, a rural farming region in south central Ethiopia. The organization began an integrated community development project there in 1993. Project Mercy's founders, Ethiopians Marta Gabre-Tsadik and Deme Tekle-Wold, were in Ethiopia in March helping with food distribution.

"It is bad," Tekle-Wold told CT. "The people are hungry, short of food—especially the children."

Church World Service, a cooperative humanitarian ministry of 36 Protestant and Orthodox denominations, is responding to the drought in Ethiopia by working through the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (the largest church in the nation) and Norwegian Church Aid, which in turn are working with churches in the country. Relief work is occurring in 24 of 71 districts until August, when agencies will assess the need for a longer-term presence.

Observers say that Ethiopia's plight requires new long-range strategies. Wolf and Hall say the United Nations needs to appoint a special envoy to mobilize resources, coordinate international efforts, develop an operational plan for agencies, and remove obstacles to the timely flow of relief resources.

"A special envoy for hunger would help re-energize the global community, refocus attention on this situation, and, most importantly, save millions of lives—mothers and children—around the world," Wolf said.

Michael of World Vision said the famine is not simply the result of a rain shortage. Ethiopia had a bumper crop in 2001, but the government did not buy up the surplus at cheaper prices for use during bad times. The grain was wasted.

"There is a policy, strategy, and structure problem as well," Michael said. "Can you imagine, after all these years, Ethiopia does not have the necessary technology to harvest [surplus crops] in good seasons?"

Wolf agrees that just handing out food in an emergency is not a long-term solution. The people and government of Ethiopia must learn self-sufficiency, he said, something they have not grasped after two decades of food and monetary assistance.

Ethiopia must improve irrigation systems and produce more drought-resistant crops, Wolf said. The government must also develop a 10- to 15-year plan and convince the world it wants to end its dependence on handouts.

About 85 percent of Ethiopia's population lives on farms, but the government owns all farmland. Wolf thinks the government should consider sweeping land reform. "If you own it, you take care of it," Wolf said. "You take pride in it. Who wants to work someone else's land?"

Such reforms, if they come at all, will have to wait. Ethiopians have more immediate concerns. In northern Ethiopia, known for its dramatic ravines and mountains, dry riverbeds slash through the landscape. An old woman in Mekelle clutches a month's wheat ration for her family. The grain could easily fit into a bowling bag. On average, people in the villages are subsisting on about 900 calories of food per day. A normal U.S. diet is at least 2,000 calories a day.

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May 2003, Vol. 47, No. 5