Bare Cupboard

By Jamie Murphy

A flood of aid is blocked

Amid the squalor of Ethiopia's rapidly rilling refugee camps, little help appeared to be in sight last week. As of Thursday, the country had only 8,000 metric tons of grain left, and storehouses in Addis Ababa, Kembolcha and Nazaret were virtually empty. Said Taffari Wossen, chief spokesman for Ethiopia's Relief and Rehabilitation Committee: "We are getting more sympathy than assistance. In terms of actual need, we are still very far from our targets." Warned a Western relief official: "The cupboard is bare."

That will come as a surprise to many in the West, whose donations to Ethiopia's famine victims continue unabated. In the U.S., relief agencies have seldom, if ever, been busier. Oxfam America is receiving contributions at its Boston headquarters at the rate of about $1 million a month, and World Vision in California has raised $2.5 million in the past six weeks, including one check for $250,000. Canada announced a further government contribution of $5.6 million. The European Economic Community will send 55,000 metric tons of grain this month.

The disparity between the West's largesse and the continuing food shortages is the result both of the long delivery time of grain shipped by sea and of Ethiopia's political divisions. The Eritrean Relief Association, an organization associated with separatist rebels in the country's northern province, has reportedly accused Ethiopia's Communist government of interfering with efforts to supply food to the region. In Tigre province, another rebel faction has been accused of preventing hungry people from going to government relief centers in the south.

Relief agencies tried to rush food to the starving country by diverting grain shipments from other destinations. The World Food Program rerouted a freighter carrying 28,000 metric tons of grain to an Ethiopian port. Even so, the ship will not arrive until Dec. 12. Another vessel, carrying 10,000 metric tons of U.S. Government-donated grain to India, changed course and headed for the beleaguered country. In all, 80,000 metric tons of food were bound for Ethiopia last week. Yet even that was far from adequate. The Ethiopian government estimates that 1.2 million metric tons of grain will be needed during the next year. Pledged shipments so far total less than one-third of that amount. Said Taffari: "I regret to say that though we are very grateful for all the international sympathy, it is now the turn of foreign governments to implement the sympathy of their citizens. The little people have given all they can."

The Reagan Administration has promised 195,000 metric tons of food to Ethiopia, but not all of it has been shipped. In contrast, the Soviet Union has given the country little more than 300 trucks, 24 helicopters and 12 planes to deliver the West's food and supplies. The Soviets have donated only 20,000 metric tons of rice. Says a British official: "They came in late and probably decided it wasn't worth their while to catch up."

The extent of the famine was brought home last week to Texas Democratic Congressman Mickey Leland. Chairman of the House Select Committee on Hunger. After completing a five-day visit to two Ethiopian relief stations. Mekele and Korem, he described the experience with a quavering voice: "It was incredible to me. The suffering of those little children in the hospital in Mekele--never have I seen anything so horrifying."

--By Jamie Murphy. Reported by James Wilde/Nairobi

With reporting by James Wilde