Office of the Historian

206. Telegram From the Embassy in Ethiopia to the Department of State1

Addis Ababa, May 5, 1983, 1346Z

1577. Subj: Declaration of Disaster in Ethiopia.

1. Pursuant to 2 FAM 602 Charge herewith determines that disaster conditions exist in Ethiopia as a result of drought and severe food shortages resulting in famine in the north-central regions of the country.

2. Embassy requests full $25,000 available as result of Chief of Mission determination be used for provision of foodstuffs to Catholic Relief Services to assist in immediate start-up of its emergency feeding program in Makelle, Tigre. Alternatively the $25,000 could be used for contribution to the World Food Program or Save the Children Relief efforts in Ethiopia. Embassy recommends Dept/AID/W consider what additional contributions USG might be able to make to the relief effort.3

3. Washington agencies are requested not rpt not to make public this disaster determination until Embassy has been able to advise [Page 580] PMGSE Ministry of Foreign Affairs of it.4 Since Foreign Ministry offices are at this moment closed for Ethiopian Easter Holiday May 6 we may not be able to contact the Ministry before Saturday May 7. We will report as soon as we have spoken with the Ministry.

Korn
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D830254–0326. Limited Official Use; Immediate.↩
  2. The Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual (2 FAM 60) delineated rules for foreign disaster assistance.↩
  3. In telegram 129900 to the Secretary’s delegation in Paris, May 11, the Department transmitted a memorandum from Crocker to Shultz, which stated: “Peter released $25,000 based on Embassy Addis Ababa’s disaster determination of May 5, approved provision of 838 tons of food (about $250,000), to the World Food Program and another 630 tons (about $180,000) to Catholic Relief Services.” (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D830266–0874)↩
  4. In telegram 1578 from Addis Ababa, May 6, the Embassy reported that Korn informed Ethiopian officials that he had declared the disaster. (Department of State, Central Foreign Policy File, D830256–0314)↩