World Notes FAMINE

With at least 6 million Ethiopians threatened with starvation for the second time in three years because of drought, Western food donations have once again begun pouring into the country. But much of this aid never reaches the hungry. Last week relief officials reported that 172 tons of food, given chiefly by Italy, were destroyed when rebels of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front attacked a 17-truck commercial convoy moving supplies to the stricken provinces of Eritrea and Tigre. The guerrillas say the vehicles were used to ferry ammunition to government troops, a charge adamantly denied by aid organizations and U.S. officials, who fear many people will die if relief supplies cannot be safely delivered to distribution centers.