It is shameful that Ethiopia under this dispicble TPLF/Weyane regime has received millions of aid than ever before. Recently, this government has been waging war against NGOs who are aiding Ethiopians. Yes, indeed, this government with the help of the U.S and Britain is waging war against Ethiopians, by dividing them ethnically so that it can divide and conquer. This government is anti Ethiopians, particulary against other ethnicities other than Tigray. This regime not only threatens Ethiopians in Ethiopia, it also has power overseas because of the millions of dollars it is getting from the West and millions of dollars it is looting from the poor Ethiopians, example the recent gold theft of Ethiopia's National Bank reserves. This government (TPLF/Weyane) is in the process of cutting Ethiopia into pieces, it gave away Eritrea to its other ally and cousin mob Issayas (who are now pretending to be rivals)and made Ethiopia land locked, and just recently, it gave away Ethiopia's land secretly to Sudan so that Ethiopians will have continous war around its neighbor while Ethiopia is not even able to sustain itself economically. Weyane/TPLF was boasting that it will provide water and electricity to other parts of the world, but Ethiopians- even Addis Ababa the capital is in the dark without Electricity and throughout the country there is short of food and water. But there are articles (government's and other country's) circulating around how Ethiopia's economy is growing how great is the Weyane and TPLF. We cannot accept that becuase Ethiopia had famine in the past therefore it is expected to starve again. We cannot accept that it is fully Global warming that is causing famine. Ethiopians are people who sustain themselves if they have a government that supports them, not a government who threatens their livelihood and takes away from them. Under this government it is exactly what is happening.

Pro TPLF/Weyane people, such as Mengistab will always pretend how great Ethiopia is under this regime becuase these people tend to be from the same ethnic group as the Weyane/TPLF which is Tigray. UNder this regime, these people have enriched and their region the most developed. Of course, they have nothing to complain about while the rest of Ethiopians are demoralized and starved.

In the end, how is it that we Africans accept that it is okay to oppressed by our dictatorial governments? How is it that we tolerate it? Why are we failing in true democracy? Why can't we THINK that we Africans deserve as much democracy as the West and stand up for true democracy?

Besides invading Somalia and waging endless wars against Eritrea, for over 50 years, Ethiopia has been waging ethnic wars against it's own people, while the world always bailed out Ethiopia from constant famines, every time Ethiopia cry 'wolf'. How's that all other African countries manage to feed their own people, while Ethiopia constantly remains the classical face and belly basket of all famines that ever struck humanity. Instead of baby-sitting Ethiopia, every time Ethiopia hit with YET another devastating and humiliating famine, it's time the world demand the minority ethnic apartheid-junta, ruining Ethiopia, to stop waging wars against it's own ethnic majority people, the Oromos, Ogadins, Amaras, Afars & the Somalis or invading it's neighbors, Somalia & Eritrea, while begging for food hand outs from the world. As long as the world continues to tolerate Ethiopian ethnic-junta ruining Ethiopia and bailing it out of it's misery and as long as Ethiopians continue to succumb to the ethnic Tigrie-minority Ethiopian-apartheid, Ethiopia will continue starving to eternity. Action speaks louder than words, therefore, feeding Ethiopia has failed before and won't make any difference now either, as long as Ethiopia is allowed to wag wars against it's own people & it's neighbors, for Ethiopian priority remains waging wars and NOT feeding it's own people. After all, the world can't save Ethiopia from it's own man made misery. Ethiopia is shame of Africa.

I can see where you are coming from. How absurd and radiculous can you be? In the first place, draught is not man made. This is not the first time Ethiopia faces draught and it is not the only country. What about your country, Eritrea where more than 60% of the population needs foods assistance. I think you are taking advantage of the issue of draught to vent you anger because you country Eritrea was humiliated by the brave courageous peoples of Ethiopia. You display so much animosity and anger against Ethiopians. You must be Eritrean although you have tried to disguise you name. You are trying to divide Ethiopians along the lines of Ethnicity. You are gullible, naive and ignorant to say the least. Ethiopia is not the shame of Africa. It is the pride of Africa. Look back at the history of your country if it has any history at all. Now that you have been ignominiously defeated on the battlefied, you have resorted to villifying the peoples of Ethiopia. I am not surprised. That is the only thing you are capable of. Being so nasty and spiteful toward Ethiopians will get you nowhere. We have taught you a lesson and we will teach you another one, should you desire it.

I have read both the comments on this piece of news. As an outsider who has contact with Africa only through the world news channels I cannot completely understand the sectarian/ethnic issues that divide the continent. Yet, I feel that this divide is the reason why there is no real progress being made. No tangible plans can me developed and executed as long as people remain divided on ethnic grounds. War in Africa is more a consequence of economic issues than a cause of it. Because of your constant bickering other nations are taking advantage of your situation. Your aim (Eritrea or Ethiopia) should be not to get comfortable with international aid when you get it and wail when you do not. I know I am oversimplifying the situation, but you should try to support each other through socio-economic reforms with as little international involvement as possible. I hope that both your countries recover from whatever is causing so much suffering and present yourself as models of socio-economic justice and development in the years to come.

Preparedness pays

Conventional wisdom tells us, in most cases, what the future holds is unknown. Men may have the capacity to predict certain types of disasters but usually they do lack the power to prevent them. Natural and man made disasters are not entirely the "poor nations lot". Developed nations are also powerless before a sudden adversity. However, effects of disasters are more lethal on poor and backward nations than on the rich, industrialized nations. The reason is developed nations are well prepared institutionally for early prediction, mitigation and response. The frequency of disaster occurrences added with their intensification and the scale of their damage have now become a concern for many nations. Recently, earthquake in china and cyclone in Burma have killed thousands of people and caused huge damage on infrastructure.

Naturally, governments bear the sole responsibility to protect the well-being of their citizens from natural and man made disasters. Many nations have now been aware of the necessity of putting in place an institution to handle tasks related to disaster preparedness and mitigation. America has expanded the operational areas of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Agency has an elaborate preparedness programme for disasters that often occur in the States. Indonesia has now been vigorously revamping its 'Tsunami Early Warning System.' This is a valid indication that states more than any other entity bear the onus to get prepared and respond to disasters. No properly functioning state is skeptical about the necessity of having such an institution. Recent talks about shelving the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency, (DPPA) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, (MoARD) seems myopic. The survival of the Agency as an autonomous disaster management entity is now at stake. Disaster is not alone about drought induced food shortage. It has rather a broader meaning than the often-occurring drought induced famine familiar to this country. To garble two different institutions that carry on development and emergency activities is a bewildered notion. After all, Disaster, management demands a quick and coordinated response, unhampered by long line of bureaucracy.

Obviously, for the system to work effectively it must have certain autonomy, with lean structure and dedicated professionals. The rational to dismantle an independent emergency management institution in the midst of a growing threat of hunger is also hard to rationalize. The creeping famine in various parts of the country seem more of a concern to the international humanitarian community than the incumbent regime. The government media reports little about the current drought induced food shortage in the eastern and southern parts of the country. Who can take care of the preparedness and prevention role if the government dumps its emergency humanitarian institution under a Ministry, which has little to do with the task of humanitarian coordination? Is it safe to relegate this task to NGOs and UN agencies? It seems not. For the government to relinquish such a sensitive task to foreigners may be considered as utter negligence of its national responsibility.

A nation unprepared is a nation doomed to chaos. No one can have a full certainty on what the future holds. The necessity of getting prepared in anticipation of a sudden calamity and the need to keep an autonomous institution responsible to watch and respond to disasters is a national responsibility no less important than national defense.