Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 7 August 1992 — Page 15

The Muncie Times, Thursday, 6 August, 1992, Page 15 One million died in Ethiopia - will Somalia be next?

Seven years ago, the world community watched in utter horror at the sight of one million Ethiopians dying from hunger. World leaders were saying “never again” will that kind of human tragedy be allowed to occur. Certainly the remembrance of the 1985 Ethiopian famine brings back awful memories. We recall that the United States, led by President Regan, was slow to respond to the magnitude of the Ethiopian famine because at that time the United States was against the Ethi-

opian government because of geopolitical ideology. Although now the case of Somalia, at least in terms of U.S. strategic interest is different, there appears to be a similar slow response to the Somalian famine by the United States. Somalia, under the rule of recently ousted President Moham-

med Siad Barre, had been an ally of the United States for decades on the Horn of Africa. The 1992 Somalian famine is expected to exceed the death toll of the 1985 Ethiopian famine. Yet, there is no atmosphere of emergency at the U.S. State Department or in the White House. The International Committee of the Red Cross estimates that about onethird of Somalia’s 6 million people will starve to death unless more food is rushed to Somalia by the inter-

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national community. Of course, the civil war in Somalia since last year has complicated the delivery of emergency aid. We are in full and complete support of the United Nation’s efforts to help the peoples of Sarajevo, BosniaHerzegovina, in their civil war in Europe. We support the quick response of President Bush to dispatch U.S. military airlifts of food, medicines, and other supplies to that war-torn area. But we question why Bush has not even mentioned the tragic situation in Somalia? Two million Africans are near death in Somalia. African Americans in particularly must break the silence and demand emergency relief for our sisters and brothers in Somalia. All Americans who believe in justice and human fairness must respond through responsible action. Time is running out in Somalia. Yes, starvation is also spreading in other parts of

the world. Throughout the United States, in many cities, the lines of the hungry and homeless are growing. But, nowhere in the world today is the situation of the hungry and starving more critical than it is in Somalia. Just last month alone in the town of Baidoa, Somalia, more than 7,000 people perished as a result of the famine. We call upon Bush to take immediate action to increase the U.S. participation in the relief efforts of the United Nations and the Red Cross in Somalia. No child of God in Europe or in Africa should be denied food and water. War is no excuse. Geopolitics is no justification. The cry of Somalia for help must be answered and an adequate response must be given now. Contributions may be sent to the Somalia Relief Fund, American Red Cross, P.O. 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

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