Poverty and Food Aid in Lasta Awrajja, 1941-1991

Temesgen, Tarko

dc.contributor.author	Temesgen, Tarko
dc.date.accessioned	2022-11-24T11:56:05Z
dc.date.available	2022-11-24T11:56:05Z
dc.date.issued	2022-09
dc.identifier.uri	http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/14556
dc.description.abstract	This study examines a history on poverty and food aid in Lasta Awrajja, 1941-1991. Number of studies conducted on the famine years of Ethiopia especially Wällo famine of the twentieth century. These studies indicated that famine is not a new phenomenon to Ethiopia. However, almost all studies give little emphasis for the sever famine of Lasta Awrajja in the period understudy. As Lasta was the center of human settlement and civilization, its area predominantly became barren lands, and recurrent drought. This situation of the area exacerbated poverty of the people that resulted frequent famine. Thus, the main objective of this study is to reconstruct history on poverty and food aid in Lasta Awrajja. Moreover, intention to conduct research on this title emanated from the fact that while Lasta is endowed with immense heritage assets but relied on food aid since the early 1970s. Therefore, to examine the famine situations, its causes and consequences, the survival strategies of the local people, the role of government and nongovernment relief and rehabilitation organizations under the period of study intended to conduct this research. Methodologically, the research conducted through a qualitative approach of historical study. Thus, to realize the study, data collected from archival records, published and unpublished sources and interview of eye witness accounts. The archival records of NALA and IES repositories consulted thoroughly. The published documents include books and book chapters, journal articles and periodical records. Unpublished sources include thesis and dissertation works of researchers. Further, eye witness accounts of interviewees who were the victims of famine, the beneficiaries of relief aid and local employers of the relief organizations provided invaluable information for the study. The causes of the famine were human made and natural factors. Among the human made vulnerable to famine the most triggered factors were the socio-economic and political issues, the civil war, underdeveloped technology and human as well as animal disease. The natural factors consisted drought, lack of fertile soil, insects like däyri and locusts. During the famine years the Lastans had their own indigenous strategy that consisted praying to God and appealing to the government, selling personal property, borrowing, adopt with unusual foods, and migration. Government played its own role to solve the problem. Food aid organizations also participated to save the lives of famine victims in Lasta particularly during the famine years of 1984-85. Generally, as documents showed Lasta was one of most famine stricken area of Wällo since 1941 onwards.	en_US
dc.language.iso	en	en_US
dc.subject	History and Heritage Management	en_US
dc.title	Poverty and Food Aid in Lasta Awrajja, 1941-1991	en_US
dc.type	Thesis	en_US