Governments, Not Weather, Cause Famines

It is a pity that “Hunger Gnaws at Ethiopia” (May 19) did not try to address the root causes of recurring hunger in Ethiopia. Lack of rain for a season, or even consecutive seasons, should not necessarily lead to famine. Ethiopia has had the misfortune of bad governance, from a monarchy during whose reign millions lost their lives to a Marxist dictator whose tenure resulted in same. Now we have a prime minister who proudly announces to the world that he will lose maybe “thousands” of his people. Thousands too many!

Ethiopia need not starve. Other onetime poor and hungry nations, such as China and India, with much greater populations, have shown the world how hunger can be tamed.

Solomon Ejigu

Duarte