Editor’s note: It has been 30 years since the notorious Famine hit Ethiopia, which some characterized as “the worst famine to ever hit the country”. In the past week, several international media and commentators have taken the opportunity to review that episode and accompanying developments. (See here).

Hereunder we shared a news from the American newspaper Chicago Tribune – this day 30 years ago – which indicates the then Pres. Mengistu Hailemariam bought half a million bottles of Scotch whiskey.

Chicago Tribune – October 27, 1984

The government of Ethiopia, where more than 1,000 people reportedly starve to death each week, is importing nearly half a million bottles of Scotch whiskey, and Britons, who are in the forefront of a famine-relief effort, are outraged.

Ethiopian officials in London on Friday confirmed the whiskey imports an embassy officer said the Marxist government in Addis Ababa decided to break an official ban on luxury imports last April to beat skyrocketing prices in the black market for such items.

A spokesman for Distillers co said the whisky had been ordered by the Ethiopian state trading company, but was held up by a British dock strike. He said a ship loaded with something less than 40000 cases” [480,000 bottles] of whiskey left for Ethiopia in late September.

The Ethiopian Embassy spokesman denied London press reports that the whiskey had been ordered for the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Ethiopian revolution Sept. 12. “This is a completely distorted picture,” he said, “the principle was to fight the black market and to spare the people.”

Britons however, were outraged that the whiskey was ordered for any reason. “It’s almost unbelievable that a regime which has now appealed for help to feed its dying should be so crass,” said a British broadcasting corp. commentator.

Sir Bernard Braine, a conservative Member of Parliament who has been urging Prime Minister Margret Thatcher’s government to increase its contribution to Ethiopian famine aid, said, “It is astonishing that a country desperately short of food whose ports cannot handle relief supplies from Europe should be importing luxuries.”

But Braine added; “This should Not distract attention from the compelling need to get food to vast numbers of starving people”

Labor Party M.P. John Maxton said. “I fail to see how any country can do this while their people are starving.”

In London Dr Robert Runcle, archbishop of Canterbury: Basil Cardinal Home and Rev Howard Williams, Leader of the Evangelical Free Church, called for an immediate airlift of relief supplies by the Royal Air Force.

Relief organizations estimate that more than 1000 people die each week from starvation just In Ethiopia’s northern Tigre, Wollo and Eritrea Provinces, hard hit by Africa’s worst drought in modern history.

One relief agency official said that up to 10 million people face starvation within 6 months unless both Ethiopian and Western donor-nation efforts are increased.

Film shown Tuesday on British television showing mothers and babies dying in Ethiopia shocked public opinion and brought in $6.25 million in donations to relief agencies.

Thatcher’s Government pledged an additional $5.25 million and 6000 tons of food for the victims.

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The caption of the photo in the news: “A mother and child do the only thing they can-wait- at the korem refugee camp in Ethiopia’s wollo province, hit by the worst drought in modern history a Relief agency official said up to 10 million people face starvation within six months if aid levels are not increased”.

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