Helensburgh residents urged to help drought-ridden Ethiopia

Scotland may have just enjoyed its warmest June on record, but in Ethiopia, the gradual and persistent rise in temperatures is taking its toll – with the country facing its biggest drought since the 1980s. 

Many millions are on the brink of starvation and 90 per cent of the cattle are dead.

The crisis has led Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF)  to launch an emergency appeal to help save lives now.

Scotland may have just enjoyed its warmest June on record but in Ethiopia, the gradual and persistent rise in temperatures is taking its toll – with the country facing its biggest drought since the 1980s.

Alistair Dutton, chief executive of SCIAF, said: “Ethiopia is in desperate need, with 20 million people urgently in need of food. These people urgently need our help. 

“Although it’s not a new problem, climate change is undoubtedly heaping despair upon despair. That, combined with the events of the last few years – Covid, the war in Ukraine and the global economic downturn – mean we are facing a deadly hunger crisis. 

“I was in Ethiopia in February with our Bishop President, Brian McGee and we saw a country in crisis. The rivers are dry, harvests have failed, and the cattle are dead.

"Our partners tell us that the situation is so bad that men are now pulling ploughs on their backs because their cattle are dead." 

Another issue contributing to the hunger crisis is the suspension of life-saving food distribution by the WFP (World Food Programme) and USAID (US Agency for International Development) for several months amid concern that the support is not finding its way to the people who need it most.

Alistair said: “While USAID and WFP announced that food assistance will only be resumed when strong monitoring measures are in place, people cannot wait.

"Vital aid must reach all those in need now. Every single day counts.” 

One person that SCIAF works with, Ayoyo, cultivated for food and ran a small business.

However, because of the drought, this is now impossible. Everything around her has died.  

She said: “The drought has destroyed all our crops and left us very hungry – we have nothing to eat. Before he died my husband supported me, but now I don’t have any support. 

“I used to have 10 goats and five cows, but the drought has killed all my livestock. There is nothing left. Without SCIAF my children might have died.” 

Bishop McGee said: “I travelled through an area where more than 336,000 people were in need of emergency aid. There are severe food and water shortages.

"The amount of available food has reduced dramatically so that adults, especially mothers, choose to go without food so that their children can eat.

“It was clear that families have nowhere left to turn. They’ve lost everything. 

"Please act now and give what you can. Please be the hope they need.” 

Donating to SCIAF’s Ethiopia campaign couldn’t be simpler. It only takes a couple of minutes to donate at www.sciaf.org.uk/donate, or to donate £5 you can text SCIAF to 70560.