Appalling disaster unfolding

THE Biblical scale of the famine currently unfolding in Africa is difficult to comprehend. Even in a country like Ireland, where the spectre of famine persists, it is mind-boggling to think that 14 million people are on the brink of starvation.

The sheer scale of this tragedy in the making adds a sense of urgency to the nationwide appeal for donations issued by Trócaire for their Ethiopian campaign.

The stark reality is that if aid fails to arrive in the country soon, there will be a human disaster on an apocalyptic scale. After years of drought, Ethiopia is experiencing a major crop failure and the food crisis also extends to parts of Eritrea, Kenya and Somalia.