Famine policy and national implications

Government policies in Ethiopia are developing in favour of market liberalization, democratization, and the rule of law. The international finance community is now more willing to invest development capital in the country. These are essential first steps toward the eradication of famine but are not sufficient in themselves.

A transitory phenomenon in Ethiopia before the 1980s, famine has evolved into an almost structural problem that can no longer be addressed by short-term, crisis-response measures. Sound information is urgently needed for comprehensive policy reform to prevent famine.