The famine in Ethiopia in the 1980s was a catastrophic disaster, as drought and political instability plunged the country into a dire food shortage that affected millions. By 1983, approximately 7.8 million Ethiopians were struggling for survival, and an estimated 700,000 had perished.
Hundreds of thousands of people were starving by the time the horrifying images of emaciated children reached TV screens around the world and prompted international reaction. As a recently graduated doctor working in Ethiopia at the peak of the famine, I witnessed the unprecedented death and human misery firsthand.
In 1983, I was assigned to the only hospital in the town of Axum, Tigray, one of the worst-affected drought areas.
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About the author
Abdulaziz Adish
Dr. Abdulaziz Adish is deputy regional director and nutrition adviser for Africa at the Micronutrient Initiative. He’s based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.