ETHIOPIA WON PRAISE FROM A UN ENVOY SATURDAY FOR ITS HANDLING OF THE PLIGHT OF SOME 1.7 MILLION DROUGHT-STRICKEN ANIMAL FARMERS IN THE HORN OF AFRICA COUNTRY, DPA REPORTED. "ETHIOPIA HAS LESSONS TO SHARE WITH ITS NEIGHBOURS," ON THE WAY IT AVERTED MAJOR HUMANITARIAN DISASTER AND BECAUSE IT HAD LEARNED FROM DISASTROUS PREVIOUS DROUGHTS, ENVOY KJELL MAGNE BONDEVIK SAID. "THE COUNTRY HAS EVOLVED DISASTER RESPONSE SYSTEMS AND IS MOVING IN MANY WAYS MORE QUICKLY THAN SOME OF ITS NEIGHBOURS TO ADDRESS FOOD SECURITY ISSUES," SAID BONDEVIK, WHO WAS ON A TOUR OF THE REGION. "BECAUSE OF THE REGIONAL NATURE OF THIS CRISIS IN THE HORN OF AFRICA, IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT WHAT LESSONS AND EXPERTISE ETHIOPIA COULD PROVIDE," HE SAID. HE SAID HE WAS IMPRESSED WITH WHAT ETHIOPIA HAD DONE REGARDING ITS FOOD SECURITY, CONSIDERING THAT THE NUMBER OF NEEDY PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY THREE YEARS AGO WAS MORE THAN 10 MILLION. BONDEVIK SAID HE MET SATURDAY WITH ELDERS AND LEADERS OF FOUR MAJOR ETHNIC GROUPS REPRESENTING SOME 1.7 MILLION ANIMAL AND LIVESTOCK FARMERS, WHO HAD WALKED FOR TWO DAYS TO MEET HIM AT KEREYU GADA VILLAGE, 190 KILOMETRES EAST OF ADDIS ABABA. --MORE 0003 Local Time 2103 GMT
