We got back from Jijiga/Dire Dawa a day early which worked out perfectly because it meant we could go to the election opposition parties rally in Addis today (more about it later but just to say I was pretty stunned by the number of people crammed in Meskel Square - it made the crowd at the Bob Marley concert look small).
The three-day trip was fascinating and at times very disturbing.
I was very inspired by the passion and the enthusiasm of the UNICEF team. They were a pretty impressive group of individuals.
During the trip we were focusing on two things - the flood and the severe malnutrition crisis.
The stats that came out on Wednesday said that 136,000 children in Ethiopia are suffering from severe malnutrition. It's hard to appreciate that figure or what severe malnutrition actually is until you see it.
We visited a camp in the Somali Region. A woman brought her child out of her hut and I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it. The little girl was literally saggy skin and bones. She was two-years-old. I'm not exaggerating to say that she looked more like she was six-months-old. I was deeply shocked to see a human being in this condition and was quite overcome.
Things I read
News
Current books
Carlos Ruiz Zafon: The Shadow of the Wind
The discovery of a forgotten book leads to a hunt for an elusive author who may or may not still be alive...This book was a real page-turner. I couldn't put it down.Amitav Ghosh: The Hungry Tide
The Hungry Tide is a rich, exotic saga set in Calcutta and in the vast archipelago of islands in the Bay of Bengal. Beautifully written and believable, well-rounded characters.Michela Wrong: In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz
Wonderfully written and an interesting portayal of the Congo and its extraordinary dictator Mobutu. The sheer level of corruption that took place under Mobutu means that in some ways this book reads as fiction rather than fact.- Jane Fletcher Geniesse: Passionate Nomad
A fascinating book about the life of Freya Stark. I really didn't know very much about her - what an amazing woman. - Khaled Hosseini: The Kite Runner
This is an extraordinary novel about moral courage and cowardice, human flaws and forgiveness set against the backdrop of Afghanistan. It gives a fantastic insight into Afghani culture and about how societies cope when they are uprooted and have to start again. - Ian Rankin: Fleshmarket Close
You can't beat Rankin or Rebus for memories of Edinburgh. William Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream
We're in it....Ryszard Kapuscinski: The Emperor
Personal insights into Haile Selassie's reign from all the people closest to him...from his pillow-bearers to his spies.
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