By Name Withheld Feb 24, 2006, 05:26 PST
I am writing to share with you the famine news [I] am receiving from Eritrea where the seasonal rain has failed to be materialised for the people, farm and the livestock which the majority of the people depend for their livelihood [and which] have perished due to this prevailing drought. In addition to that, the government of Eritrea has decided not to distribute the international aid by banning the aid agencies and the government has not provided any alternative means of supply of food to the starving people.
The geographical area that is affected by this new wave of drought covers most of the country side of the country. However the eastern lowlands which stretch from the Qaruura at the border of Sudan to Buri which lies between Djibouti and the Eastern slopes of the Eritrea landscape are severely affected. The people who live in the traditional province of Sahel, Semhar, Dankalia, and part of Akelegusay and Senhit, Barka are starving and [have] started to die. Most of the victims are children, women and elderly as all youth population of the nation are in military.
It seems there is no one [to] witness the unfolding of this tragedy as the government news service concentrates on political events and there exists no international media living in the areas that are currently affected and those media correspondents of the BBC, VOA, RUETERS are all stationed in the capital and never make an effort to see what is happening outside Asmara, particularly rural areas.
This is my personal information which I have gathered through my contacts with family, friends and others in the affected areas. The population in these parts of the country are historically neglected as results there are few relatives living in exile to support the families. There are few educated members in the overseas to bring the situation to the attention of humanitarian organisations and governments.
It is due to this understanding in mind that I decided to write this note to share with those who care about Eritreans, friends and able Eitreans to appeal to you to make any effort possible on the behalf of our people who are perishing due to starvation, to call to the international community to help us alleviate this urgent situation.
I appeal to you to those who read this note to inform concerned bodies as I have little experience in dealing with this kind of matter and have no influence to contact them. If there is any doubt about the accuracy of the suffering that is taking place in the country, I urge you to make your own assessment of the people of the areas that I have mentioned by contacting the local population independently. Please bear in mind that I have no political affiliation to any political entity and I am sending this note purely from personal desperation I felt, and it is my attempt to highlight the problem
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