fan man assures

FOOD BOUGHT with Canadian donations and

‘transported to Ethiopia to feed the millions of

~ hungry i is getting through.

; VAlan’ Hassell, media -rela-_
: tions - officer for World Vi- |
_ sion, says: despite publicity

that’s’: what

poiled. on the docks’ of

‘Asab,: but he added that the:

hipload of. grain

“transported was-95,000 tons...

“If 90,000 tons make.:it
through, and «five don’t,
makes the.

headlines,”” Hassell'said.

The:main ‘hold-up ‘at the
docks :causing any delay in
‘food: shipments, : Hassell ox- *
plained, is ‘the government. :
bureaucracy. -

Since the: overthrowing, of,

Emperor.‘ Haile “Selassie in «
_1974-by: the ‘present: ‘Marxist

ovisional. Military, -:gov-
ernment,’ the’. country. « has
been’ “ruled . with © an iron
fist,’’- Hassell said. ee

Jot: of: paper: ' shuffling... fig -
been’ over to the government..:

‘office to get’ papers stamped,
but ..after:- they're | clearéd,
theré’s no:trucks to move it

‘through: We had to’ rely on ©

invested $2 million to buy 40
trucks from. Holland,:. mak-

; ing the non-profit. organiza- -

tion’s fieet of trucks 67.

“We are now entirely ~
self-sufficient,’’ Hassell said,
“but it was a hard. ‘decision -
to make. Two million dollars -
could buy-a lot of food .—
but if it's -not-: ~ getting

“through....”’ ©

Hassell says: another ‘age
_ gravation that? ‘has held up
“food convays in the. past has’

been the attack of rebels...

“There’s a civil war‘ in
Ethiopia. The rebels; . guer-
rillas area force to--be .
teckoned with,’ Hassell -

robably ° ‘tens of

; thousands and.on the whole

they’re well armed, They

‘travel in bands.”

Hassell said rebels attack-

+, eda convoy, of. trucks .—

burned two. trucks. and stole
food, but. released the “staff .
- unharmed. ‘

“It may have been signifi-

cant that they were gov--
ernment trucks, but. they

. were, our drivers,” ; Hassell
said.
‘communist, .-Hassel!

| government, .

/Speaking on. why the [

-Ethiopian. ‘government. deals

with “Western ‘countries at’ -
zall,-. due ‘to" its communist . :

‘politics, “Hassell ‘says: “I’m
convinced that the people in

_ government care’ about the ° ke
e. They’re.
tough,: but: they. care. I’ve.
seen’ high “government of-:

starving people.

“ficials.:weep when children

. die. And ‘they’ re:: pragmatic F
--~. Russia: has;-no . grain:-to: ~
‘importing

«Western grain’ herself —. so | -
+ * they’ re. keen. to have Western :

spare; ‘she’s

aid.’*

"to feed the children, ‘Hassell

» Says:-"There’ are tough deci- °
-sions,’ but if’ you feed: the :
. children,
“whole lives ahead Of them. :
“And :we will - not’ reject. a-.
. child as being too far gone. .
“Some .people .argue against |
‘that, - but, we ‘believe every ©
child: has’a chance and we: ’
focus’ on. the” worst cases...
Frequently we. save children”
who we thought had slim

they have “their

hope.” . | ;
See; ‘Money |

men, women and children — wait patiently in the scorching sun for food to be available.

The ‘rebels’.are not anti-
says, '
even, though ‘they. are anti-_

“World Vision’ § priotity is ‘

3 - Sunday, November 3, 1985 - North Shore News

"NORTH ‘SHORE