WRITTEN QUESTION E-0814/03

by Robert Goebbels (PSE) to the Commission

(17 March 2003)

Subject: Famine in Ethiopia

The Commission has just allocated an additional EUR 5 million for emergency food operations in Ethiopia, bringing the sum total of EU food aid to some EUR 102 million for 2002-2003.

The Commission is to be congratulated on all the excellent initiatives it is taking in this area, but could it indicate:

1. what percentage of the aid approved had been granted up to the beginning of March 2003;

2. whether it considers the EU aid sufficient to enable the Ethiopian authorities to provide food to the communities affected by continuous drought;

3. whether additional aid is needed until such time as the 2003 harvest is gathered;

4. what bilateral aid has been provided by the Member States and whether they have coordinated their efforts;

5. how, on implementation of the Cotonou Agreement, it will work with the Ethiopian authorities to draw up the structural reforms that are required to enable Ethiopia to avert recurring famines? (Need to develop the country's infrastructure road system, energy supply; water catchment and irrigation systems more effective education of local inhabitants; seed selection; etc., and above all better market organisation. The liberalisation of the trade in grain has not given rise to the expected reforms, as has been documented by Eleni Gabre-Madhin in her study for the International Food Policy Research Institute.)

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(23 April 2003)

Total Commission food aid allocations for Ethiopia to date amount to EUR 98 million, equivalent to an estimated quantity of 373 000 million tonnes (MT) of food aid, for delivery from October 2002 to December 2003. An additional EUR 4 million has been allocated

in humanitarian aid. To date, EUR 77 million has been allocated to respond to emergency needs, equivalent to 295 250 MT of food aid. The remaining EUR 21 million (77 500 MT-equivalent) is in the last stages of the Commission's approval procedure. Most of the Community food aid is to be distributed between March and June 2003, which is considered the most critical period.

The question as to whether substantially larger allocations will be needed is difficult to answer at this stage. In late December 2002, some estimates of those in need of food aid reached 14,2 million: these were later revised downwards to 11,3 million. While there still remain severe food shortages, the positive and prompt response from donors has, for the moment, prevented the situation from deteriorating further. Substantial supplementary requirements for the remainder of 2003 are not expected. Early indications are that the 2003 Belg rains have begun ahead of time. However, given the susceptibility of Ethiopia to food crises, this could change unexpectedly.

In addition to the Community's allocations, some EUR 46 million has been provided by Member States under bilateral agreements, bringing the total contribution from the Union to EUR 148 million. This Union response to the food crisis is estimated to constitute roughly 30 % of the global response to assessed needs to end-2003, 58 % of which is now covered. Co-ordination between Commission and Member States has been close, especially in Addis Ababa. A co-ordination meeting on the crises in both Southern Africa and the Horn of Africa was also held in Brussels, on 4 February 2003, in an effort to develop a common Union approach on the short, medium - and longer-term responses to the crises. The meeting allowed for a more efficient, harmonised response to the crisis and provided greater awareness of the contributions of individual Member States, and the Union as a whole, to the present emergencies.

Both the Commission and government of Ethiopia are committed to addressing the longer-term problem of chronic food insecurity. Tackling food insecurity is vital in order to avoid the recurrence of transitory food shortages. Adverse climatic conditions and interruptions to trade act as triggers, which spark off such crises and are not in themselves the sole cause. In Ethiopia structural causes such as weak markets, poor transport infrastructure, lack of assets, problems of land tenure and lack of opportunities outside the sphere of agriculture are at the root of chronic food insecurity. Food security has been given priority attention under the Cotonou Agreement. In October 2002, a EUR 25 million Food Security Programme, in the form of budgetary support, was agreed for Ethiopia. Furthermore, under the 9th European Development Fund, EUR 54 million has been provided for the 2002-2007 period, specifically for food security projects. These projects will focus on improving market efficiency, providing adequate storage facilities, improving competitiveness in internal trade, increasing land productivity, improving agricultural techniques and ensuring access to inputs, all with the aim of increasing production and the overall food supply. Other programmed activities include provision of safety nets, improvement of social services, and diversification of livelihoods. Further to this, a substantial allocation (EUR 211 million) has been made to the transport sector. An adequate roads network is necessary to ensure the market sector operates efficiently. This, in turn, is a prerequisite to guaranteeing long term food security. This continued commitment should gradually reduce Ethiopia's vulnerability to food shortages and the threat of recurring famine.