Eritrea: Forgotten by the World

CARE
Thursday, 3 April 2003

CARE International and Oxfam International today urged Poul Nielson, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian and Development Aid, to set an example to the international community, pledge more aid to Eritrea, and encourage an improved overall response in addressing the serious food crisis in the country.

Commissioner Nielson, on a one-day visit to Eritrea, will see firsthand the scale of the crisis facing the country in which an estimated 1.4 million of a total population of 3.4 million people have been directly affected by the current drought.

CARE's country director in Eritrea Liz Sime explained: "Herders are making long journeys to find pastures for grazing. They pray for rain and say that if April is dry, the livestock will surely die. Those lucky enough to still have animals are trying to sell them to buy grain. However, the price of animals is dropping steadily, so much so that some families have begun killing their animals for meat. For many of them this is a last resort, which they only do when they are certain the animals will die anyway from lack of fodder."

The European Commission has pledged Euro 16.3 million to date for the humanitarian crisis in Eritrea. Total food requirements are assessed at 476,000 metric tons by the government of Eritrea, who say only 25 percent of total food needs have been met.

CARE and Oxfam experts believe that this is the worst crop failure in Eritrea for a decade. "Families who were able to salvage something out of the poor 2002 harvest are eating the seeds that they would normally save to plant next season. They have no other option," said Basil Lucima, regional humanitarian coordinator for Oxfam.

While exact figures on total food supply in the country are not available, the current state of the Eritrean economy and recent crop failures make it clear that there is a need for the international community to commit more funds to the food crisis.

The aid agencies have seen a paralysis of response while donors procrastinate over the extent of the problem facing Eritrea. "Lack of information and reliable data have discouraged donors from committing aid, although this is not a sufficient reason for the inadequate donor response," said Liz Sime.

As Eritrea enters its fourth year of drought, Oxfam and CARE believe that the deeper causes of the food crisis in the country must also be addressed. Regional insecurity is the greatest obstacle to Eritrea's recovery. Without real peace and secure borders, demobilization will not happen, trade with neighboring countries is almost impossible, and the economy will continue to stagnate. Within Eritrea, increased agricultural production, rural investment, irrigation and appropriate liberalization of trade are also urgently needed.

CARE and Oxfam made the following recommendations to the Commissioner:

• Donors should co-ordinate a sufficient aid response to the current crisis. The European Commission, as a major donor to Eritrea, can set an example to other donors by getting on with pledging more aid;
• The Commission should encourage the Eritrean government to work with all actors to ensure the collection and analysis of data to enable an increased and more targeted response; and
• The Commission should assist the Eritrean government to address the equally critical underlying issues that have contributed to the food crisis, including promoting regional peace and security, and the economic development of Eritrea.

"Unless there is a change in approach, Eritrea may become another casualty of the war in Iraq, with increased insurance costs for shipping, possible disruptions in the Red Sea, and the international community's attention focused elsewhere. Meanwhile, people in Eritrea will continue to struggle on in isolation," said Basil Lucima of Oxfam.

For more information, or to contact CARE, see their website at: www.care.org