Ethiopia seeks urgent food aid for 6 million

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33433935/ns/world_news-africa/

updated 2:59 p.m. ET, Thurs., Oct . 22, 2009

NAIROBI, Kenya - Ethiopia said Thursday it needs emergency food aid for 6.2 million people (6,200,000), an appeal that comes 25 years after a devastating famine compounded by communist policies killed 1 million and prompted one of the largest charity campaigns in history.

The crisis stems from a prolonged drought that has hit much of the Horn of Africa, including Kenya and Somalia.

Drought is especially disastrous in Ethiopia because more than 80 percent of people live off the land. Agriculture drives the economy, accounting for half of all domestic production and most exports.

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