| Ethiopia Famine |
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As a result, cattle suffered as they became emaciated, growing thinner, thirstier and hungrier before eventually dying as worthless bags of bones. Soon, Ethiopian food baskets ran dry, giving way to a disaster that left a trail of destruction, sparing neither humans nor livestock. By October 1984, the human death toll was estimated at 200,000, a number that western diplomats said could rise to 900,000 by the end of the year, whatever the level of aid. It took the forte and selfless mettle of a cameraman with his unswerving lens to show the world the extent at which a famine was sweeping a population in hundreds every dawn and dusk. Mohammed Amin “Mo”, the reputably known frontline cameraman shot excruciatingly wrenching images of hungry children, men and women almost reduced to skeleton bones which hit the world headlines and grasped the conscience of many around the globe. After travelling around Northern Ethiopia for twelve days earlier in May '84, Mo wrote a front page story for the Kenyan newspaper The Sunday Nation. The headline "Millions face death in Ethiopia" pointed to the impending catastrophe facing some five million people in the country. Like many other stories carrying this warning in the previous several years, it was largely ignored by the rest of the world. However, Mo’s photos and videotapes later on of Ethiopian famine, along with BBC’s Michael Buerk's reporting brought international attention to the crisis. Almost at once, money and food donations from governments and individuals poured into international relief agencies. Never in the history of television news had pictures taken on such a life of their own. United States President Ronald Reagan said he could not get Amin's images out of his head, and authorized $45 million in emergency funding on the spot. The concerts of Band Aid & Live Aid and songs “We are the World” and “Do they know it is Christmas” were recorded with the proceeds channeled to Ethiopia. Michael Jackson “MJ”, who died of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles in the morning of June 26, 2009, and Lionel Richie wrote the song "We Are the World”, which became one of the fastest-selling singles ever. The song sold millions of copies and raised more than $50 million for not only Ethiopian famine victims but also other drought-hit countries across Africa. Ethiopia was hauled off one of its greatest nightmares. 25 years down the line, the Horn of African nation still grapples with perennial drought and famine problems. However, the Ethiopian government has changed and so has the technical, logistical and managerial aspects of famine prevention and preparedness.
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