Something is terribly wrong. How is it that the authorities in Ethiopia could not envisage the coming of this tragedy? How is it that they did not plead with the Diaspora to avoid this looming catastrophe? Well, maybe this is not the time to put blames.

Again, we are being haunted by the specter of famine. The heart breaking news of children dying an agonizing death of hunger, pictures of emaciated bodies of the young and the elderly are either hitting our television screens or they are on their way to bleed our hearts. Every Ethiopian and every human being with a sense of responsibility is wondering why so much agony and so much misery is reigning on the people of Ethiopia.

We must save lives. We need to overcome the obstacles for giving. Had the Diaspora been organized there wouldn’t have been a need for foreign assistance to save our people. But it is not. Hence, each and every Ethiopian has to take it upon himself/ herself to give what he/she can, and at the same time, to plead with as many relief agencies as possible to seek an immediate help. Each one of us need to organize for this drive to save lives. We can’t wait for others to organize us around this cause. The responsibility lies upon each one of us.

Lives are being lost. Unless we act NOW many more will be lost. There is no doubt that the hearts of Ethiopians, and of those who know Ethiopia well and of all people of goodwill is bleeding. Our feeling is hurt. It is our children, brothers, sisters and parents that are dying and are on the verge of death. All this because of the lack of a few hundreds of calories of food to support their lives. The whole phenomenon becomes so agonizing when we realize how wasteful of resources we are here in the West. Compatriots and good people of the world let’s act now. NOW before it is too late. It is through giving and active involvement that we can overcome the sense of guilt that is hovering over our shoulder. It is also through a generous giving that we can save lives.

There are many causes for the misery and suffering of our people. One is the natural calamity. The other is man made. But it is not the time to deal with it now. It is not the time to talk about the current leadership of Ethiopia that is a hindrance to unity, a unity that could have been translated to resources and power. This is not the time to talk about the different political oppositions that see everything in terms of power, and for that sake will do everything including dividing the Diaspora into different camps. This is not the time to talk about foreign powers that have no respect for international rules and regulations and hence, undermine the existence of a strong political entity called Ethiopia. This is not also the time to address the issues that have so far made the Diaspora unable to organize under one uniting cause.

This is the moment of giving. The time to act is now. Let’s give generously.