On first consideration, the arrival of the rainy season in the Horn of Africa in recent weeks would seem to herald an end to the region's food crisis. In the longer term - if the rains continue - this is certainly true. But in the short-term, the onset of heavy downpours has actually made things worse for the most vulnerable people there. As Paul Cullen's reports from southern Ethiopia in this newspaper have shown, the rains bring with them numerous problems, by increasing disease, further weakening livestock and washing away access roads.
The pastoralists who for thousands of years have herded their animals on these marginal scrublands are particularly badly affected. At least 1.7 million Ethiopians in the eastern Somali region and southern Borema zone are struggling to survive, as are their neighbours in northern Kenya and Somalia. There are no major rivers here and most have no access to reliable waterholes and no means to capture and store the rain that has fallen. According to the UN, one child in five is malnourished and up to three out of every 10,000 die each day.
As in the case of Darfur, the international response to appeals for assistance for the victims of drought in the Horn of Africa has been weak. Enough food aid has been provided to ensure a famine is averted, but only just. Given the growing unpredictability of their climate, these farmers seem doomed to endure another drought and further crises in the near future.
The difficulties involved in delivering aid to remote communities in the bush are enormous, but not all can be put down to geography, lack of road infrastructure or climate. Corruption is also a major problem, according to those involved in providing aid in Ethiopia, and one that unnecessarily drains resources. Arguably this explains the public's reticence about responding to non-emergency appeals - though we give generously to disaster funds. Ethiopia has received €2.3 billion in development aid from the EU since 1975, yet its present situation is the worst in 20 years.
Corruption and maladministration in Ethiopia are genuine concerns; only this week, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour joined in criticism of the country's human rights situation. This raises questions for Ireland, which provides €30 million a year in aid for projects in Ethiopia. The Government says none of its aid goes directly to the Ethiopian administration; however, the fact that so many Western donors are providing assistance with health and education undoubtedly takes the pressure off the Ethiopian government, which spends up to 5 per cent of its budget on defence.
Irish diplomats in Addis Ababa this week joined their western counterparts in calling for dialogue between the government and opposition in Ethiopia. The time has come, though, for stronger measures to deal with a regime that last year shot scores of unarmed demonstrators in the street and has incarcerated hundreds of political opponents since then.