1 million people face famine in Sudan, Ethiopia

April 10, 1998
Web posted at: 6:04 p.m. EDT (2204 GMT)

BAHR EL GHAZAL PROVINCE, Sudan (CNN) -- Drought and war have combined to create a famine disaster in eastern Africa that is affecting more than a million people in parts of Sudan and neighboring Ethiopia.

In southern Sudan, relief workers estimate that more than 250,000 people may be starving. Though a drought has aggravated the problems, the primary reason for the famine is an ongoing civil war between the Muslim Arab government in the north and a rebel group seeking autonomy for the Christian and black African south.

CNN's Catherine Bond reports 2 min. 12sec. VXtreme video

"This is purely a man-made disaster," said Dan Effie of Norwegian People's Aid, a relief group working in Sudan.

In Ethiopia, the weather is responsible for a famine that U.N. World Food Program officials say is affecting perhaps 800,000 people in the eastern and central parts of the country.

A shortage of rainfall last year reduced the two normal annual harvests of teff, a grain that is a staple of the Ethiopian diet. Then, last October and November, unusually heavy rains damaged mature crops in the fields.

The U.N. this week issued an appeal for emergency food aid, saying it needed to purchase 60,000 tons of food to help the starving Ethiopians. So far, only Japan has responded, offering enough money to buy 2,500 tons of food.

"At this point, we've got less than 5 percent of the contributions we need," said Khaled Adly, director of WFP's operations in Ethiopia. "Unless more comes in soon, we could be faced with another crisis before long."

Aid agencies blame Sudanese rebel who switched sides

In Sudan, the Dinka people in the southwestern Bahr el Ghazal province have been unable to plant crops, because they have been uprooted by the fighting between government troops and the Sudanese People's Liberation Army.

The Dinka say these are the worst times they have faced since the SPLA took up arms against the government in 1983. And aid agencies forecast that by next summer, there could be 1.6 million people in need of food aid.

Observers say much of the recent chaos has resulted from the actions of one man, Kerubino Kwanying Bol, a founding member of the rebel movement.

Two years ago, some SPLA leaders, including Kerubino, signed a peace agreement with the government. Some rebels decided to keep on fighting. But Kerubino was made a major general in the Sudanese army and unleashed his forces on Bahr el Ghazal in October 1996.

Dinka children

"They killed our young men, raped the women, burned our homes and schools and stole our cattle," said Dominic Matiok, the SPLA's administrator in the town of Turalei. "Because of insecurity, we did not farm and now have to depend on wild seeds and roots."

But earlier this year, for reasons that aren't clear, Kerubino rejoined the SPLA. He aided rebel forces in sieges of three government-held towns, which sent people fleeing into the countryside.

Kerubino denies he is responsible for the famine, saying, "It was not me who prevented the rain."

Conflict imperils aid flights

In February, the government suspended all aid flights into the area, saying it was too dangerous for aircraft to land. It recently started allowing some flights again, but relief officials say the government needs to allow more planes to fly relief missions to make up for the time lost.

But the Sudanese government says that if the international community is really interested in ending the famine, it must pressure the rebels into a cease-fire.

The government contends the rebels use food aid to feed their troops and that rebel offensives often follow food deliveries. So controlling the delivery of food is one of the government's most effective weapons in combating the rebel insurgency.

Correspondent Catherine Bond contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• Opposition slams Sudan constitution talks - March 8, 1998
• Heavy fighting erupts over key Sudanese airport - January 31, 1998
• Sudan clears way for talks to end civil war - July 9, 1997

Related sites:

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• World Food Programme
  • WFP EMERGENCY REPORT
• Norwegian People's Aid
  • At least 11 killed in bomb incident in South Sudan
• Sudanese National Democratic Alliance
• ArabNet - Sudan
• Sudan page - University of Pennsylvania, Dept. of African Studies

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

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