Editing 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia (section)

==Response to the famine==

[[File:Famine help (3524682551).jpg|thumb|right|Food distribution organized by Ethiopian Red Cross volunteers]]
Despite the fact that the government had access to only a minority of the famine-stricken population in the north, the great majority of the relief was channeled through the government side, prolonging the war.{{sfn|de Waal|1991|p=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RcVFXUwraxsC/page/n22 5]}}

The Ethiopian government's unwillingness to deal with the famine provoked universal condemnation by the [[international community]]. Even many supporters of the Ethiopian regime opposed its policy of withholding food shipments to rebel areas. The combined effects of famine and internal war had by then put the nation's economy into a state of decline.{{citation needed |date=October 2011}}

The primary government response to the drought and famine was the decision to uproot large numbers of peasants who lived in the affected areas in the north and to resettle them in the west and southern part of the country. In 1985 and 1986, about 600,000&nbsp;people were moved, many forcibly, from their home villages and farms by the military and transported to various regions in the south. Many peasants fled rather than allow themselves to be resettled; many of those who were resettled sought later to return to their native regions. Several human rights organizations claimed that tens of thousands of peasants died as a result of forced resettlement. According to Human Rights Watch, at least 50,000 people died.{{sfn|de Waal|1991|p=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RcVFXUwraxsC/page/n270 5]}}

Another government plan involved [[Resettlement and villagization in Ethiopia|villagization]], which was a response not only to the famine but also to the poor security situation. Beginning in 1985, peasants were forced to move their homesteads into planned villages, which were clustered around water, schools, medical services, and utility supply points to facilitate the distribution of those services. Many peasants fled rather than acquiesce in relocation, which in general proved highly unpopular. Additionally, the government in most cases failed to provide the promised services. Far from benefiting agricultural productivity, the program caused a decline in food production. Although temporarily suspended in 1986, villagization was subsequently resumed.{{citation needed |date=October 2011}}

===International view===
Close to 8&nbsp;million people became famine victims during the drought of 1984, and over 1&nbsp;million died. In the same year (23 October),<ref name="BBC video">{{cite news|title=1984: Extent of Ethiopia famine revealed (Video)|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/8315248.stm|access-date=18 June 2010|newspaper=BBC News|date=22 October 2009}}</ref> a [[BBC]] news crew was the first to document the famine, with [[Michael Buerk]] describing "a biblical famine in the 20th century" and "the closest thing to hell on Earth".<ref>{{cite news|title=Higgins marvels at change in Ethiopia's Tigray province|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/higgins-marvels-at-change-in-ethiopia-s-tigray-province-1.1992467|agency=The Irish Times|date=7 January 2018}}</ref> The report shocked Britain, motivating its citizens to inundate relief agencies, such as  [[Save the Children]], with donations, and also to bring the world's attention to the crisis in Ethiopia.<ref>{{cite news|title=Live Aid: Against All Odds: Episode 1|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0078x3n|agency=BBC|date=7 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="Live Aid">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/702700.stm "Live Aid: The show that rocked the world"]. BBC. Retrieved 25 September 2019</ref>
[[File:Bob Geldof Rock am Ring 1987.jpg|thumb|upright|right|alt=Bob Geldof, a Caucasian man in his mid-thirties, is on stage, singing into a microphone and playing a left-handed acoustic guitar. He wears a white shirt and a dark green jacket.|[[Bob Geldof]] co-founded [[Band Aid (band)|Band Aid]] and sang as part of the chorus of their song "[[Do They Know It's Christmas?]]"]]
In November 1984, the British [[Royal Air Force]] carried out the first airdrops from [[Hercules C-130]]s delivering food to the starving people.<ref>{{cite news |title=RAF carried out vital food drops to tackle famine in Ethiopia |url=https://www.rafbf.org/news-and-blogs/raf-carried-out-vital-food-drops-tackle-famine-ethiopia |access-date=25 September 2019 |agency=Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund}}</ref> Other countries including Sweden,<ref>{{cite book|title=[[Horisont (yearbook)|Horisont 1984]]|publisher=[[Bertmarks förlag|Bertmarks]]|year=1984|language=sv}}</ref> [[East Germany|East]] and [[West Germany]], [[Polish People's Republic|Poland]], [[Canada]], [[United States]], the [[Soviet Union]] and [[SFR Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] were also involved in the international response.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}

===Charity===
Buerk's news piece on the BBC was seen by Irish singer [[Bob Geldof]], who quickly organised the charity [[Supergroup (music)|supergroup]] [[Band Aid (band)|Band Aid]], primarily made up of the biggest British and Irish artists of the era.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111219224029/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1643506/looking-back-at-live-aid-25-years-later.jhtml "Looking Back At Live Aid, 25 Years Later"]. MTV. Retrieved 22 October 2016</ref> Their single, "[[Do They Know It's Christmas?]]", was released on 3 December 1984 and became Britain's best-selling single within a few weeks, eventually selling 3.69 million copies domestically. It raised £8 million for famine relief within twelve months of its release.<ref name="BBCThree">{{cite AV media | people =Presenter: [[Midge Ure]]| date =21 October 2004 | title =Band Aid: The Song That Rocked the World | medium =TV Documentary |  work =[[BBC]] }}</ref> Other [[charity single]]s soon followed; released in March 1985, "[[We Are the World]]" by [[USA for Africa]] was the most successful of these, selling 20 million copies worldwide.

[[Live Aid]], a 1985 fund-raising effort headed by Geldof, induced millions of people in the West to donate money and to urge their governments to participate in the relief effort in Ethiopia.<ref name="Live Aid"/> Some of the proceeds also went to the famine hit areas of Eritrea.<ref>{{cite web |title=In 1984 Eritrea was part of Ethiopia, where some of the song's proceeds were spent |url=http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/d6750ff7c1236f1e21669b2af53797c3.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622020815/http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/d6750ff7c1236f1e21669b2af53797c3.htm |archive-date=22 June 2011 |url-status=live |access-date=8 May 2009 }}</ref>  The event raised £145 million.<ref>James Montgomery: [https://web.archive.org/web/20160324051325/http://www.mtv.com/news/1643550/a-look-back-at-live-aid-by-the-numbers/ A Look Back At Live Aid, By The Numbers]; MTV.com, 2010 (retrieved 19 July 2015)</ref>

[[File:Quincy Jones 2008.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Quincy Jones, a plump bald African American man with a grey mustache and wry smile. He is elegantly dressed in a black brocade jacket with a patterned collar over a black shirt.|[[Quincy Jones]] was a key figure in the production and recording of "[[We Are the World]]".]]

In France, supergroup Chanteurs sans frontières released "SOS Éthiopie", which sold 1 million copies and raised 10 million francs (about 1.2 million dollars).

In Canada, supergroup Northern Lights, consisting of [[Bryan Adams]], [[The Guess Who]], [[Rush (band)|Rush]], [[Anne Murray]], [[John Candy]], [[Neil Young]], and among others sang "[[Tears Are Not Enough]]", which was produced by [[David Foster]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.2950819|date=10 February 2015|title=Who was who in Tears Are Not Enough|website=CBC News}}</ref>

In Yugoslavia, supergroup [[YU Rock Misija]] recorded the charity single "[[Za milion godina]]" and organized a corresponding charity concert, raising a total of US$426,000.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vesić|first1=Dušan|last2=Rančić|first2=Sandra|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu2bBHjC3zE&t=989|title=Strana XXV, "Pogledaj dom svoj, andjele" Rock scena 1985|agency=Rockovnik|date=2004|access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref>

Other charity initiatives raised money for Ethiopia. On 27 January 1985, members of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] participated in a special fast, where members went without food for two meals and donated the money they would have used to buy food. The fast raised $6 million for the famine victims in Ethiopia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/viewpoint-1985-fast-marked-beginning-of-lds-charities?lang=eng|title=Viewpoint: 1985 Fast Marked Beginning of LDS Charities - Church News and Events|website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thechurchnews.com/2010/1/29/23228999/country-information-ethiopia|title=Country information: Ethiopia|date=29 January 2010|website=Church News}}</ref>