The weyane elite who is sending thousands of Ethiopians to their death camp and refusing to sign the cease-fire is showing its callousness again by hosting a lavish expenditure for its elite and diplomats at Sheraton hotel at the same time as poor Ethiopians are dying for lack of a piece of bread.

Please compare the report about the Ethiopian New Year 's bash at Sheraton hotel in Addis Ababa by Addis tribune (September 17, 99) and the report about potential disaster in Ethiopia by IRIN (July 19, 1999)

Fortunate ones
New Year's Eve is always a time of jubilation, celebration and excess. However, on September 11th, those fortunate enough to enter the Sheraton gates were in for a tremendous surprise. Never has Addis seen such extravagance, style and lavish expenditure for a single event. Seeing the New Year in proved a thoroughly unique experience on account of the luxurious pampering proffegreen to all guests.(Addis Tribune)

The unfortunate
At a food distribution site in Gurusum, East Hararghe, those queuing say people have traveled long distances from remote rural areas because there is nothing to eat there, and that others too old and infirm cannot make the journey. "It's better to come to the urban area begging, than to stay hungry in the rural area," says Fatihiye Borale, a woman from Gurusum district who is dry-nursing a young, malnourished baby but has to mix milk and tea to feed her because she is not producing milk. (IRIN)

Gourmet feast
With an astounding, tantalizing and infinite array of fine foods and beverages, the guests were treated to a gluttonous gourmet feast. (Addis Tribune)

Forced to eat dry wild seeds
Many farmers have consumed or lost their grain seeds and are forced to eat dry wild seeds. A young girl, Yeshiteta Mamo, says people are collecting cactus fruit to eat, and selling firewood for money to buy grain. Others are coming from the countryside in search of work as laborers in the town, but there is no work, she says.(IRIN)

Drinking cocktails
Many kept going until the wee hours of the morn, dancing their cares away at the Gaslight, or drinking even more cocktails. (Addis Tribune)

Nothing to drink
In north and South Wello, adults are hungry and children "severely malnourished," and there are disturbing examples of people "with bones sticking through," according to a recently returned aid worker who spoke to IRIN.

Cattle and horses are in a terrible state and people are farming dust and stones," he says. "There's no development going on at all ... people are just surviving - barely." The situation is also reported to be critical in South Tigray, an inhospitable area "which will never be able to grow enough food for its needs," according to a humanitarian source working in the region. (IRIN)

Constant supply of food
All the guests looked their best, even as the evening progressed and they gradually became more and more intoxicated. Everyone had a splendid time and the joyful atmosphere reflected it all. With occasional cheering, euphoric laughter and a constant supply of food and drink, one would think no-one would dedicate a minute's thought to serious matters.(Addis Tribune)

People are not hungry, they are starving.
Hunger is rife and malaria endemic so that, there will be "real problems" if food aid and supplementary feeding for targeted vulnerable groups does not continue through to December, says Fuad. "People are not hungry, they are starving," he adds.(IRIN)

More glorious display is planned of next year.
With the glorious display for 1992, one can hardly imagine what is planned for the alternative calendar's New Year's Eve. Such a lavish and colossal party offering a myriad of people to meet, food to taste, drinks to test and music to dance to surely could never occur again. Well, the Sheraton Addis has certainly proven to be a source of constant amazement and surprise, who knows what they'll achieve next or what wonders they'll provide for us in future.(Addis Tribune)

What is their future?
In Fachatu town, Fuad Yusuf, health assistant with a local peasant association, says he has recorded over 5,000 cases of malnutrition from a catchment of 33,301 people in the past two months - all of them children, mostly under-fives and also suffering from disease. Of these, he says 1,047 had 70-80 percent of normal bodyweight for their age; 2,704 had 60 to 70 percent; and 1,500 were severely malnourished, with less than 60 percent bodyweight for their age. (IRIN)