Ethiopia wants food aid

I do hope we can help genuinely, but, without wanting to sound crass, why don't they stop having sex as often! Throw some contraception in with the rice bags!! Thats what I say... This is a serious point. Why not look at why population is increasing when the infrastructure cannot support it. There are ways to nail this but I fear that people might think that stopping a starving family having 15 babies or criticising this is against human rights / politically incorrect etc etc.

Mod Note: This could be an interesting discussion. However, wander off topic and you will find it will close very quickly.

Thanks for mopping up Tess. I'll edit the original post a little too just to give people less reason to wonder off topic.

How can we deny them aid, that would make us inhumane. Poor people , we do not know how lucky we are.......

How can we deny them aid, that would make us inhumane. Poor people , we do not know how lucky we are.......

For once, you and I are in agreement.

How can we deny them aid, that would make us inhumane. Poor people , we do not know how lucky we are.......

I know, and we can't deny them aid. I never said we should deny this. I think we are obliged to give it, but they are not helping themselves in the context of the point I was making.

I do hope we can help genuinely, but, without wanting to sound crass, why don't they stop having sex as often! Throw some contraception in with the rice bags!! Thats what I say... This is a serious point. Why not look at why population is increasing when the infrastructure cannot support it. There are ways to nail this but I fear that people might think that stopping a starving family having 15 babies or criticising this is against human rights / politically incorrect etc etc.

It is an age old self-preservation mechanism which dictates that people have many children to offset the high probability of losing children. Darwinism at work, as it were. However, there is something to be said for your point. The problem is that the levels of poverty which contribute, along with famine, to the misery of the Ethiopian poor, do not lend themselves to a comprehensive education system. Education is a major key in this type of situation. The position of women within Ethiopian society is another contributory factor, as is the general political status. In the Ethiopian situation, famine will continue to be an issue for the foreseeable future. It is incumbent on the wealthier nations to assist where we can in times of need. It is also encumbent on us to try to prevent recurrences. Our attitude to climate change is relevant here. Our attitude to overseas aid, and the conditions adherent, is important also.

I know, and we can't deny them aid. I never said we should deny this. I think we are obliged to give it, but they are not helping themselves in the context of the point I was making.

I know what you mean as their population has doubled since the last famine , may be family planning should come with the food aid. I always remember live aid a couple of years ago when the starving baby of 85 came on stage, it brought tears to my eyes, she was beautiful . Only 30years ago she was nearly dead.

We must do the right thing.

Personally I think it is time to stop all foreign aid, even more so in a recession. These backwards countries that have yet to evolve into civilised society cannot be bailed out time and time again.

Why do I say these awful things?

Well a few weeks ago, I saw a news report by the the BBC. It was about drought in Kenya (and one would assume the wider region). It showed the parched landscape with dead cattle lying around because there was nothing to graze and no water to drink. The livestock that were still alive were nothing but skin and bones. When the men of village went out to gather food and collect water, they took with them AK-47s. That is because a few days earlier another tribe had done a raid on their village to steal their livestock and killed a few people.

Why in a time of great desperation across a whole country, even continent, does inter tribal warfare and territorial disputes take presedance over pooling and sharing their resources like any civilised society would do?

I think when civilisation extends beyond the boudaries of their main cities and they stop shooting each other, then they might deserve some my hard earned cash.

Around 25 years ago, someone I knew had a relative who was involved in raising funds for Ethiopia, and like many schools around the land we held jumble sales, sponsored silences etc to raise funds.

This was around the time of Michael Burke's now famous BBC news report, that led to Live Aid, Band Aid, Red Nose Day and the Make Poverty History campaign from a couple of years ago.

Yet Ethiopia is still asking for aid.

I think we have to help. But also, I think over the last 25 years, why has nothing changed? I don't know the answer but we need to look at that, because we can't keep helping for ever.

Why do I say these awful things?

Well a few weeks ago, I saw a news report by the the BBC. It was about drought in Kenya (and one would assume the wider region). It showed the parched landscape with dead cattle lying around because there was nothing to graze and no water to drink. The livestock that were still alive were nothing but skin and bones. When the men of village went out to gather food and collect water, they took with them AK-47s. That is because a few days earlier another tribe had done a raid on their village to steal their livestock and killed a few people.

Do you really think such 'raids' (maybe AK47-less) would not be occurring?

The extent of lawlessness witnessed in New Orleans just after Hurricane Katrina hit rings any bell at all?

The fact that a lot of aid that we do send ends up with corrupt officials might not help their cause either.