Eight million Ethiopians are currently at risk of starvation, according to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). Weather-related famine-like conditions in southern Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa (Sudan, Eritrea, and Kenya) have intensified, reducing prospects for crop planting and harvesting. If weather and planting conditions do not improve soon, a food aid crisis could spread within Ethiopia and the region. The total anticipated food aid need for the Ethiopians currently at risk is roughly 900,000 metric tons.

There is growing concern about the logistical difficulties of moving large-scale food aid into parts of Ethiopia. Although the ports of Djibouti and Berbera can handle large shipments, roads from these ports into Ethiopia are inadequate and are likely to worsen with heavy truck traffic. Should ports and roads be inadequate, the airlifting of substantial amounts of food aid into Ethiopia may be necessary.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working closely with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to respond to the severe drought and the looming humanitarian crisis. While USAID is the lead U.S. agency in responding to such emergencies, USDA is playing a major role in helping needy countries meet their food needs.

As of April 13, the United States had made the following donations for shipment to Ethiopia this year through various channels:

Title II Emergency (USAID):	127,045 tons
Title II Non-Emergency (USAID):	86,725 tons
Section 416(b) wheat donation for WFP's operations in Ethiopia:	198,000 tons
Section 416(b) soybean oil donation for WFP's operations in Ethiopia:	2,900 tons
Section 416(b) carry-over wheat donation for replenishing Ethiopia's wheat reserve:	90,000 tons
Total	504,670 tons

Of the amount provided thus far this fiscal year (FY 2000), USDA has agreements in place to provide more than 290,000 tons of wheat and vegetable oil to Ethiopia, both through the World Food Program and directly to the Ethiopian government. It is also providing food aid to other Horn of Africa countries through the WFP.

USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) has donated Section 416(b) commodities to the World Food Program's emergency operations in Ethiopia for victims of drought (145,000 tons), for Sudanese, Somali, and Kenyan refugees living in Ethiopia (30,000 tons), and for Ethiopians displaced by the Ethiopia-Eritrea border conflict (25,900 tons). In addition, the CCC has also donated the following Section 416(b) commodities for other World Food Program operations in the Horn of Africa: 15,000 tons of wheat for Ethiopian refugees living in eastern Sudan; 17,500 tons of wheat for the war-affected people in Eritrea; and 20,000 tons of corn for victims of drought in Kenya. Most of USDA's Section 416(b) donations for Ethiopia are either currently being shipped or have been scheduled for shipment to Ethiopia via the port of Djibouti. (Click here for shipping status report for Ethiopia.)

USDA continues to look at requests for additional aid tonnage for Ethiopia. The U.S. Government's Inter-Agency Working Group for the Horn of Africa recently approved a new appeal from USAID for 175,000 tons of additional Section 416(b) wheat for Ethiopia. This appeal will be considered at the next Food Aid Policy Council meeting on April 19. If approved, it is anticipated that this additional wheat will be covered under the 416(b) reserve currently being held for Ethiopia.