[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 63 (Friday, May 19, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E779-E780]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN RECOGNITION OF SAVE THE CHILDREN'S WORK TO STAVE OFF A LOOMING 
                           FAMINE IN ETHIOPIA

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. SAM GEJDENSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 18, 2000

  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, today I call attention to the exemplary 
work of Save the Children, a relief organization based in my home state 
of Connecticut. For nearly seventy years, Save the Children has worked 
to relieve the suffering of millions of men, women and children 
worldwide. Save the Children has been on the front lines of 
humanitarian crises in Africa, Asia and Latin America, delivering 
humanitarian assistance to millions in need. In the United States, and 
specifically in Connecticut, Save the Children's relief workers have 
lent their assistance to both adults and children in underprivileged 
communities.
  Save the Children represents the best of what America has to offer. 
Today, Gary Shaye, Vice President of International Programs for Save 
the Children International, testified before the House International 
Relations Committee on the organization's efforts to stave off a 
looming famine in Ethiopia. Save the Children's relief workers were 
among the

[[Page E780]]

first on the ground in Ethiopia, helping to deliver critical food and 
humanitarian assistance to victims in the hardest-hit areas. The 
organization has spearheaded education, public health and food 
distribution programs in the region to meet the needs of a people on 
the brink of starvation.
  Ethiopia today faces a crisis not unlike the famine of 1984. 
Sustained periods of drought have led to high rates of malnutrition, 
severe water shortages and a significant loss of livestock. Save the 
Children has developed a program to address each of these issues, by 
aiding in the distribution of food and water to the poorest areas and 
by vaccinating livestock to prevent death and improve the food security 
of families who depend on livestock for their livelihood. The 
organization has prepared and initiated food distribution programs for 
some 135,600 children and adult family members in the Liben, Afdheer, 
and Borena regions, with plans to distribute 9,200 metric tons of 
wheat, vegetable oil, and corn soya blend.
  Over 10 million people face severe food shortages in Ethiopia alone. 
Nearly 16 million in the Greater Horn of Africa risk imminent 
starvation. We cannot afford to turn our backs to their outstretched 
arms or turn a deaf ear to their anguished cries. Instead, we must 
continue to provide humanitarian assistance to these victims. I am 
particularly proud that Save the Children of Connecticut is helping to 
lead this effort, both within Africa and our own country.

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