The education policy of ethnic segregation and spiraling crises inside Ethiopia's classrooms - OromoNet - June 21, 2008

By Qeerransoo Biyyaa

In this article, I will focus on drawing some comparison between the Bantustan education policy under the apartheid government in South Africa and the current ethnic-based policy of educational segregation against the Oromo, Sidama, Affar, Gambella, Somali and Southern Nations and Nationalities in Ethiopia. This is to show the existence of a clear double-standard in Ethiopian education system. I will base this analysis on my observation of Ethiopia's higher learning institutions for a decade now both as a student and as an academic.

This kind of topic requires a detailed empirical research at post-graduate level. Given the current restriction on academic freedom in Ethiopia, it is unlikely that a student or a professor in Ethiopia will be allowed to research such as sensitive, controversial but real topic, which can have the implications of severe punishment: imprisonment, torture or death included. The debates about separate development on Ethiopia's education policy needs to go beyond conversations and rumors between close circles of friends, relatives and family and needs to attain prominence at least amongst the academics in Diaspora, who have the freedom to engage in such a generation-saving endeavor. Read More.

Ethiopia's Urban Poor Cannot Afford To Eat
IPS - June 20, 2008

Interview with Abera Tola (AT), Director of Oxfam's Horn of Africa regional office

IPS: Hunger is obviously a recurring theme of life in Ethiopia. What do you think are the underlying, fundamental causes of that?

AT: We have to have good polices, strategies to really tackle poverty in Ethiopia. We are living in an area of cyclical drought and food shortages, every year. Last year, we at Oxfam raised $3 million, and the year before we raised the same amount of money, and we are doing that with meagre resources. If there was a government strategy that would address the root causes, we would be more than happy to collaborate with the government. Read More.

"These elections were not even good enough to be rigged" - Bulcha Demeksa - IPS - June 20, 2008

"These elections weren't even good enough to be rigged," asserts Bulcha Demeksa, a former United Nations and World Bank official who currently leads the OFDM and serves in Ethiopia's parliament. "A genuine dictatorship has been evolving."

The situation of the Oromo people -- who form the majority in Ethiopia's largest and most populous state, Oromia -- is but one of the thorny poltico-ethnic quandaries confronting Ethiopia's ruling party today. Read More.

Female opposition leader is Ethiopia's first
EthioMedia.com - June 19, 2008

Ethiopia's opposition survivors of the post-election government crackdown in 2005 have once again re-grouped in Addis Ababa, and after several ups and downs, formed their party: "Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJP)," or known by its short Amharic name "Andinet," meaning "United."

Elected to lead the new party is Bertukan Mideksa, a 34-year-old former judge who was - while in prison for nearly two years - hailed by the pro-democracy community as the "Aung San Suu Kyi of Ethiopia."

In an Internet radio interview with the Ethiopian Diaspora, Ms. Bertukan on Teusday hailed the formation of the new party as a "political breakthrough." Read More.

Fast Living - TIME - June 19, 2008

It is half an hour before dawn in the Ethiopian highlands, and most of the town of Bekoji still slumbers in the shadows of a 14,000-ft.-high (4,300 m high) volcano. On the streets, though, a silent army is on the move. More than a hundred boys and girls - many in bare feet, some no taller than the goats feeding by the roadside - gravitate toward a vast, grassy plateau on Bekoji's outskirts. There, a man with a stopwatch, local running coach Santayehu Eshetu, is waiting. So intense is the hunger here for running - and its rewards - that Eshetu's workouts, initially meant for 25 athletes, now draw 150 or more. Focused and serious, the runners listen to his words of guidance before taking off across the plateau, their feet slapping the earth in thunderous unison. "I have no doubt," says Eshetu, "that one of these kids will be world champion." Read More.

Crisis Group Warns of Risk of New Eritrea-Ethiopia Conflict
VOA - June 19, 2008

The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned that Eritrea and Ethiopia risk a return to war over a disputed border. In a report released Tuesday, the Brussels-based group called for the international community to step up its efforts to find a solution to the impasse.

The ICG says that neither Eritrea nor Ethiopia desires a return to war. In addition to concerns about the economic consequences of renewed fighting, the group says, the governments of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Ethiopia and President Isaias Afwerki in Eritrea use the security threat of the boundary dispute to bolster authoritarian rule within their borders. Read More.

Woyane's deal to destroy Yayu, Ilubabor
Orom@ntic Commentary - June 16, 2008

At a time when over six million of its people are starving because of lack of prioritization, the Ethiopian government is signing yet another deal with China to develop coal reserve by destroying the thickly forested Yayu region in Ilu Aba Bora. The rainforest in Yayu region is one of the last forests left in Ethiopia, but the current irresponsible government is eyeing it for its next destructive move. Previously, the Ethiopian government has burned down forests in various parts of Oromia with pretense of smoking out rebel soldiers. Read More.

- Related: Ethiopia plans to develop coal reserve (Reuters, June 16, 2008)

Government has banned photographs of the starving
The Economist - June 13, 2008

Editor's Note: Similar to its predecessors, the Woyane/Ethiopian government has banned photographs of the starving in order to hide the severity of the famine in Oromia, Ogaden & the South. It is to be remembered that the Monarchy kept the 1973-1974 Wollo Famine a secret until Jonathan Dimbleby exposed it to the world; his reports were one of the factors that led to the fall of the Monarch. Again, in 1984-1985 the Derg military junta kept the Tigray/Wollo Famine a secret until the renowned photographer Mohamed Mo Amin captured the famine in horrific images.

UN agencies drastically revise appeal as Ethiopian drought intensifies
UN News Centre - June 12, 2008

Famine fears grow in Ethiopia - Reuters - June 12, 2008

Aid agencies are warning the threat of deadly hunger in Southern Ethiopia is increasing by the day.

The United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF, says six million Ethiopian children under five may be at risk of malnutrition.

Starving children are arriving daily at hospitals, health centres and churches, their emaciated bodies and desperate faces reminiscent of events in 1985 when one million people died. Read More.

Ethiopian sets world record in one-hour run - CBC.ca - June 12, 2008

Watch the video @ the Gadaa.com Video Playlist.

Education, Food & Health Each Receives 50% Less Budget Than Military in Ethiopia

Reuters - June 10, 2008 -

Ethiopia's defense spending went up to 4 billion birr from 3.5 billion last year (a 5% increase) while education and food security each received 2 billion birr and the health sector was allocated 1.8 billion birr (each roughly 50% less budget than military). Read More.

WFP Steps Up Urgent Food Shipments to Ethiopia
VOA News - June 10, 2008

World Food Program Director for Ethiopia Mohammed Diab says supplies of nutrition supplements intended for elsewhere are being diverted to Ethiopia, where the estimate of people needing food aid has more than doubled, from 2.2 million to 4.5 million. Read More.

Oromo-Australian Hold Demo Against the May Brutal Attack in West Oromia
June 10, 2008

The Oromo, Gumuz, Somalis, Sidamas, Afar and many other different ethnic groups have lived together peacefully as neighbors for hundreds of years. However, the Ethiopia regime has systematically turned these ethnic groups against each other recently resulting in the killing of more than 400 innocent people. Read More.

Djibouti says clashes with Eritrean troops at border
Reuters - June 10, 2008

Djiboutian soldiers clashed with Eritrean troops for the first time in a nearly two-month old standoff, Djiboutian state media reported on Tuesday.

The Eritrean government was not immediately available for comment, and no independent confirmation of the clash was immediately available. Read More.

Bekele runs fourth fastest 10000m ever at Prefontaine Classic
RunnersWeb - June 8, 2008

Watch video here.

Kenenisa Bekele, 1st in Men's 10,000m: "I did my best. It was my fastest this year. The pace was a slow pace and around 4km I wanted to go faster, then I was getting cold. I'm satisfied. It was OK. I liked the crowd very much. The weather was nice, I like the fresh air very much. I like the sun.

"This is my first time to run [outside] in the U.S. It was a good race for myself and for the fans. I have many friends here and the crowd was good... I haven't decided about Running the 5,000 or 10,000 or both in Beijing. I 'm not sure yet."

Meseret Defar, winner women's 5,000m: "My legs were not relaxed. In the beginning I was a bit cold. I'm feeling good but the time was not very good. I am very disappointed but I am in good shape. My training has been going well since my championships."

Gelete Burka, 1st, women's 1500m: "The race was good. Last week I ran the 5000 but I'm also working on shorter distances too." Read More.

'Given the opportunity' - PSU Daily Vanguard - June 6, 2008

Student commencement speaker Tamam Waritu has overcome setbacks to provide motivation to others.

At 16 years old, Tamam Waritu entered his freshman year at Jefferson High School with what most American schools would consider a fifth-grade education level.

He spoke no English. He was experiencing culture shock. And when he moved to the United States from Ethiopia in 1999, he lived in a two-bedroom apartment in Northeast Portland with his parents and 11 siblings.

More than eight years later, Waritu, 24, is preparing to speak in front of the other 4,737 graduates and around 100 family members and friends at Portland State's commencement ceremony at the Rose Garden on June 14.

"The only reason I am here is that I was given the opportunity," Waritu said.

Waritu serves as the president of the Gadab Foundation, which has assisted 24 students since it was established two years ago. Read More.

Dibaba sets women's 5000 world record
Yahoo! Eurosport - June 6, 2008

Twice world 10,000 metres champion Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia shattered the world women's 5,000 record when she clocked 14 minutes 11.15 seconds at the Oslo Golden League meeting at the Bislett stadium on Friday.

Dibaba broke the previous mark of 14:16.63 set by her compatriot Meseret Defar at the same stadium on June 15 last year.

Dibaba, the world indoor 5,000 record holder, said before the meeting she would try for a world record. Read More.

Scholar sheds no tear for former ruler Mengistu
Daily Nation - June 5, 2008

Meet the professor who former Ethiopian dictator put on "death sentence" and waited for seven years in detention without trial.

As Prof Merera Gudina trots the world freely as a renowned scholar and MP in Ethiopia, Mengistu's life is in danger after his country's courts recently entered a death sentence verdict against him.

The former strong man is living in Zimbabwe, another sinking titanic, courtesy of President Mugabe.

Prof Gudina is chairman of Oromo People's Congress, first vice-chairman United Ethiopian Democratic Forces, and chairman of Political Science and International Relations department, Addis Ababa University.

He was in Kenya recently on invitation of his former lecturer at the University of Addis Ababa, Prof Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, Kenyan minister for Medical Services and co-chairman of African Research and Resource Forum. Read More.

Ethiopia Threatened By Major Famine
- SkyNews - June 6, 2008

Editor's Note: This report exposes that Woyane continues to deny the severity of the famine caused by the regime's misguided policies & deliberate "underdevelopment" schemes designed to mute popular uprisings in Oromia, Ogaden & the South. Qeerransoo Biyyaa also points out that drought & soaring food prices are not the culprits, but the regime's misguided policies are.

Read also The Famine in Oromia: the Dry Season is Not the Only Culprit - a Press Release of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) - March 31, 2008

Sign the Petition that Condemns the Massacre of Oromos in Western Oromia

Sponsored by the International Oromo Youth Association, the petition unequivocally condemns the massacre of Oromos in Western Oromia last month.

Sign the petition today to pay tribute to the victims and their families. Sign the petition today to stop the genocide against Oromo.

Here are some quotes from those who have signed the petition:

"We live in the twenty first century and still under the continuing colonization of the Ethiopian government, which never has a mercy for the Oromo people." T.A., MN

"These actions are crimes against humanity that the international community should deplore and take humanitarian action. The Oromos have rights to survive in their homeland Oromia." A.J., TN

"No peace loving and just person should condone such barbaric acts. This cowardice act should be investigated and the perpetrators should be brought to justice. Justice & peace to the Oromo people!" K.H., VA

Click here to sign the petition now.

Conference Held in London on the 24th of May 2008
OromoIndex - June 3, 2008

A conference organised by the Union of Oromo Students (USO) in the UK on 24th of May 2008 has been successfully completed. Mr. Abagero, current Chairman of USO, opened the conference by laying out the objectives of the conference to the audience, then followed the opening remark by one of the founding members of the OLF, Mr. Taha Abdi.

This conference was attended by hundreds of Oromos from all over the United Kingdom. During the presentation several topics were covered, such as "The Current Political Conspiracy of Woyane" by Abiyot Kebede (a former member of the Ethiopian House of Peoples' Representative), "Poor Economical Policy of the Government in Ethiopia" by Mr. Tashome Badhasa (a former member of the Ethiopian House of Peoples' Representative), and "What Needs to Done?" by Mr. Gezaheny Bekele (a former member of the Council of the State of Oromia). Read More.

As Children Die, Aiga-Woyane Feels Image Damaged

AigaForum.com on 06/03/08

On June 2nd, 2008, Woyane's main disinformation website, AigaForum.com, published Woyane's concern over the Empire's image being tarnished by the recent news coming out of southern Ethiopia, where an estimated 4.5 million people, mostly children, were under severe starvation. And they stressed that the situation was not that grim!

This clearly shows the heartless, cruel and unfeeling nature of the EPRDF-TPLF-Woyane regime. A group of people that react to news of millions of innocent children dying of starvation in this cold-blooded manner ("is the situation that grim?" and "our country's image is once again damaged!") shows the regime is full of monsters and evils, to say the least. A concerned human being should have said "WHY SHOULD A SINGLE ADULT, LET ALONE CHILD, GO TO BED STARVED?" Quite unsurprisingly, Woyane is sad to see the image of the Empire being damaged, not to see millions of children dying of starvation.

Reminiscent of the previous Imperial & military dictators, Woyane is using starvation as a tool of punishment for political dissents; the Imperial & military regimes purposely underdeveloped Wollo and Tigray regions of the Empire to squash popular uprisings. In a similar fashion, Woyane has intentionally underdeveloped various localities of Oromia, Ogaden & the South to make the peoples of these regions surrender to Woyane's aggression. This is a human rights violation and should be denounced as such. Like its predecessors, Woyane's concern is the image of the Empire, not children dying of starvation.

Thousands of children threatened by severe drought in Oromia
Reuters - June 2, 2008

Famine in Southern Ethiopia's Oromia region, 330 km to south west of Addis Ababa has affected the lives of thousands of children.

Rains have failed, leading to poor harvests and people are travelling long distances in search of water. The U.N. children's agency UNICEF estimates that 126,000 children are severely malnourished. Only 33,000 are receiving treatment because of what aid workers say is a lack of money.

Oromo: UNPO General Assembly Member Resolution
UNPO - June 2, 2008
Concerned about the following human rights violations in Ethiopia, which include mass killing, kidnapping, imprisonment and torture, and which are being inflicted upon the Oromos and other nations and nationalities both in Ethiopia and in neighbouring countries where they have taken refuge, have heightened our concern about the safety of those peoples:
Extra-Judicial Killing: Abdi Abrahim age 30 from Dirre Xiyara , East Hararge was shot with three bullets and killed on October 30, 2007 by the Ethiopian Government soldiers. Abdi Abrahim was shot dead near Ethiopian Military Camp, found in a place called Didibo in Eastern Hararge.
Mass Attack Against Oromo Refugees in Neighbouring Country: 65 Oromo refugees from Ethiopia were killed and more than 100 others were seriously injured when two grenades were thrown at two different hotels owned by two Oromo refugees, Melaku and Jamal Arsii, in the port town of Bossaso in Puntland, Somalia. The victims were watching a video game produced in Oromo Language at the time the attack took place on the 5th of February, 2008. Read More.

VOA on the Recent Massacre of Oromos in Western Oromia (Audio)
Bilisummaa.com - June 1, 2008

International Oromo Youth Association (IOYA) condemns Massacre of the Oromos in Western Oromia - Ayyaantuu - May 31, 2008
Continuing its Nazi-style agenda, the TPLF government has introduced its next tactical chapter on systematic massacre of Oromo civilians. The trained commandos of the Ethiopian government, who are backed by bombs, AK 47s and other heavy artillery, have continued their massacre of Oromo civilians killing mothers, burning children alive in locked houses, amputating those they could catch alive and destroying their properties, in Western Oromia, Eastern part of Wollega.
In this area of Western Oromia, Oromos have lived side by side with the Gumuz people peacefully until recently. The TPLF regime has systematically and maliciously turned the Gumuz against Oromos. Specifically on May 17, 2008 marked the beginning of 13 days and counting of violence that claimed the lives of more than 400 people in its first two days. The Gumuz militia backed by TPLF regime, attacked unarmed civilian Oromos burning down their houses while cutting open pregnant mothers' wombs, amputating elders and children and forcing thousands to flee their homes. There have been more deaths and injuries as the issue has escalated and no attempts were made by the government to contain it. Read More.

MSF Begins Nutritional Intervention in Oromiya
DoctorsWithoutBorders - May 29, 2008

Parents wait with their children at an MSF therapeutic feeding center in Oromiya region, where, due to alarming rates of malnutrition, MSF has launched an emergency nutritional intervention.

Two weeks ago, the medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) launched a nutritional intervention in some areas of the southern region of Oromiya in Ethiopia, following assessments that showed alarming levels of malnutrition among children under five.

MSF has set up three inpatient clinics - also called stabilization centers - for the most severely malnourished children who also have medical complications, such as pneumonia or enemia, and need intensive medical care. The centers are located in the towns of Ropi, Senbete Shinquille, and Shashemene in the Siraro and Shashemene districts. As of May 27, MSF was treating around 435 children in these 3 centers. Read More.

Oromo Liberation Front denies responsibility for last week blast in Addis Abeba
Sudan Tribune - May 29, 2008

On May 26, 2008, the Ethiopian Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) dominated regime issued a fabricated statement regarding a minibus blast that occurred on May 20, 2008 in Finfinnee a.k.a. Addis Ababa. It stated that: "Some of suspects of the bombing last Tuesday in Addis Ababa of a taxi minibus killing six passengers and injuring seven others have been put under custody. ... Terrorists including those now arrested planted the explosive in the minibus full with commuters heading to Lagar from Arat Kilo on 20 May 2008. Evidences indicate that this act of terror was also coordinated by the Eritrean regime and perpetrated by its stooge, the self-styled Oromo Liberation Front."

From the outset, we would like to make it clear to all concerned that the accusation labeled against the OLF is baseless. The OLF has nothing to do with the blast. The OLF has never and will never target civilian population nor does it condone any such acts. Read More.

Ethiopia Drought Children's Appeal UNICEF UK - May 23, 2008

Increasing food prices and the failure of crops are taking their toll on the children of Ethiopia. Right now, 126,000 children are in urgent need of therapeutic feeding and up to 6 million children under-five are at risk of malnutrition. This is almost half of the entire population of children this age.

The situation is most critical in the drought-affected eastern regions of Oromiya, Somalia and Southern Nations Nationalities and People's Region.

The drought, loss of livestock, limited food supplies and increased prices of food, fuel and fertilizer are contributing to the crisis, which is predicted to be worse than that of 2003. Read More.

Child survival gains in Ethiopia threatened by malnutrition
UNICEF UK - May 23, 2008

Deemah Rashid, from the Borena tribe, holds her youngest child inside the mud hut where she and her family live. The family moved to the settlement after their herd of cattle died in the 2006 drought.

An estimated 126,000 children in Ethiopia are in need of urgent care for severe malnutrition. UNICEF today cautioned that up to 6 million children under-5 years of age are living in impoverished, drought prone districts and require urgent preventive health and nutritional care.

The situation is the worst since the major humanitarian crisis of 2003, and is rapidly deteriorating. UNICEF urgently requires 25 million pounds for its health, nutrition and water/sanitation work. Read More.

As Children Die, Aiga-Woyane Feels Image Damaged

As Children Die, Aiga-Woyane Feels Image Damaged

AigaForum.com on 06/03/08

On June 2nd, 2008, Woyane's main disinformation website, AigaForum.com, published Woyane's concern over the Empire's image being tarnished by the recent news coming out of southern Ethiopia, where an estimated 4.5 million people, mostly children, were under severe starvation. And they stressed that the situation was not that grim!

This clearly shows the heartless, cruel and unfeeling nature of the EPRDF-TPLF-Woyane regime. A group of people that react to news of millions of innocent children dying of starvation in this cold-blooded manner ("is the situation that grim?" and "our country's image is once again damaged!") shows the regime is full of monsters and evils, to say the least. A concerned human being should have said "WHY SHOULD A SINGLE ADULT, LET ALONE CHILD, GO TO BED STARVED?" Quite unsurprisingly, Woyane is sad to see the image of the Empire being damaged, not to see millions of children dying of starvation.

Reminiscent of the previous Imperial & military dictators, Woyane is using starvation as a tool of punishment for political dissents; the Imperial & military regimes purposely underdeveloped Wollo and Tigray regions of the Empire to squash popular uprisings. In a similar fashion, Woyane has intentionally underdeveloped various localities of Oromia, Ogaden & the South to make the peoples of these regions surrender to Woyane's aggression. This is a human rights violation and should be denounced as such. Like its predecessors, Woyane's concern is the image of the Empire, not children dying of starvation.

The crisis of ethnic identity and democracy in Ethiopia
Sudan Tribune - May 23, 2008
After the fall of Mengistu's Derg regime in May 1991, people of Ethiopia had great hopes that the peace will ultimately prevail. The bloody and torturous days experienced by the people of Ethiopia in the hands of Mengistu and his cronies were now gone; and the new government had to solve political, economic and social crises created by past regimes. In essence, the new regime had to come up with a new form of democratic political system that would accommodate the conflicting needs and interests of the people of Ethiopia in general. In doing so, the ruling party, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), embraced "Ethnic federalism" as a viable political experiment to accommodate ethnic differences. Read More.

Ethiopian millions 'risk hunger'
BBC - May 19, 2008

Six million children in Ethiopia are at risk of acute malnutrition following the failure of rains, the UN children's agency, Unicef, has warned.

More than 60,000 children in two Ethiopian regions require immediate specialist feeding just to survive, Unicef says.

The situation is expected to worsen in the next few months as crops fail.

Aid agencies in Ethiopia say they are short of funds as donors concentrate on the emergencies in China and Burma. Read More.

Woyane's Millenium Report Card:

Ranked as the 169th out of 177 countries in Human Development Index (HDI) by UNDP. HDI measures health, education & economic conditions of a country. Taking HDI as an indicator, Ethiopia has gone down from being the 20th least developed country in 1991, when Woyane took power in Finfinne, to being the 9th least developed in the world in 2007/2008.

Addis Ababa (Finfinne) was ranked as the No. 6 dirtiest city in the world by Forbes Magazine in March 2008.

Named as one of the two worst enemies to Internet freedom in the sub-Saharan Africa by Reporters Without Borders; the other country is Zimbabwe, one of the most failed states in the world.

Ranked 18th in the most failed states list, compiled by the Fund for Peace.

Ethiopia is one of the nations that will most likely fail to achieve most of the Millennium Development Goals, 8 development gaps that member states of the UN pledged to close by 2015.

At the height of the repressive Derg regime, nearly 4.4 million people were in chronic need of food aid in Ethiopia (The New York Times - April 22, 1990.) This number has doubled to more than 8 million in 2008 (Reuters - March 11, 2008).

Afaan Oromo Immersion Project
Gadaa.com - May 17, 2008
The (AOIP) is a project intended to give Oromo youth, many of whom were born in refugee camps or within Canada, a chance to return to their country of heritage with the purpose of learning some aspects of their Oromo culture and language that they may not otherwise be able to learn in Canada. Under the guidance of the O'z Up Oromo Youth Movement of Toronto, a designated committee will give equal opportunity to Oromos or friends of Oromos between 15-29 years of ages to travel to Oromiya, Africa, for a two-three month period. During this period, these two individuals will participate in volunteer works within Oromiya community schools. These persons will help educate Oromiya youth on computer skills, health/HIV awareness, and English classes. In return, these youth will be given the opportunity to learn the Afaan Oromo language and immerse themselves in the Oromo culture. Read More @ www.AfaanOromo.org (click here).

Aid Agencies Say Thousands Of Ethiopians Facing Starvation
VOA News - May 17, 2008
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says it is taking swift action to help an estimated 40,000 Ethiopians facing starvation. The Red Cross is launching an emergency appeal for $1.7 million to provide urgently needed food relief.
Drought is a recurring phenomenon in the Horn of Africa. Many areas of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia and parts of northern Kenya are facing losses from this year's harvests.
The International Red Cross Federation says it is particularly concerned about the welfare of some 40-thousand people in the Wolaita, Sidama, Moyale and Bale areas of southern Ethiopia. It says they are suffering severe food shortages. Read More.