40 Years After Live Aid: A Renewed Crisis in Ethiopia

Four decades ago, the world united in response to harrowing images of famine in Ethiopia's Tigray region. Today, the situation is dire once again, yet it seems to garner little attention.

On July 13, 1985, a monumental event known as Live Aid was organized by singer Bob Geldof to raise funds for those suffering from hunger in Ethiopia. The concerts held in London and Philadelphia attracted tens of thousands of fans and resulted in millions of dollars in aid for Ethiopia and other crisis zones.

However, the Tigray region, which witnessed the deaths of hundreds of thousands from starvation during the previous crisis, is now in ruins. A brutal conflict, instigated by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed--who was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize--along with Eritrean support, claimed up to 600,000 lives between 2020 and 2022. This ongoing violence has been compounded by years of severe drought, exacerbated by the effective dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Geldof, reflecting on the current state of affairs, expresses frustration over the apparent indifference to the crisis. He questions whether news outlets would even cover a new famine, suggesting that it might only make the news as a secondary or tertiary story. He worries that only a significant loss of life would capture the media's attention.

The precise number of individuals currently suffering from hunger in Tigray remains uncertain, as the central government in Addis Ababa reportedly obstructs the collection of accurate data. Sources from the region indicate that a famine is already underway, though it has not been officially acknowledged due to political reasons. Millions of individuals rely on food aid for survival.

Prior to the conflict in 2020, the northern region of Ethiopia was on an upward trajectory, benefiting from a social safety net and relative peace that provided protection against hunger crises. However, the war has devastated these systems, leading to widespread destruction of vital resources, including food supplies, agricultural capacity, water sources, healthcare systems, and employment opportunities, along with the banking sector.

The aftermath of the conflict has included a systematic strategy of starvation, with many women subjected to horrific acts of sexual violence, leaving them with physical and emotional scars, social isolation, and often severe hunger. According to experts, the true extent of this tragedy is difficult to gauge, but it represents a significant and preventable catastrophe that remains largely invisible to the world.

Despite his frustration, Geldof remains hopeful that humanity will ultimately prevail. He emphasizes the simplicity of the issue: there are children suffering from hunger, and they need food.