1983–85 famine in Ethiopia

Already in the 1970s had led to crop failure and famine drought in the Sahel and in Ethiopia. At the beginning of the 1980s the situation (central Eritrea, Tigray, Wollo and parts of Begemder and Shewa ) pointed again in the northern highlands of Ethiopia.

1985 was followed by another drought year, and at the beginning of 1986, the famine had also extended to parts of the southern highlands. This year, the situation was exacerbated by plagues of locusts, an estimated 5.8 million people were dependent on food aid.

A BBC report about the famine in Ethiopia in 1984 shocked the public in industrialized countries. Pictures of starving children, such as from the time of around three years Birhan Woldu ( as the face of the famine, "the face of famine " fame ) went around the world.

In response, donations for the starving were collected on a large scale, particularly in the context of Live-Aid-/Band-Aid-Konzerte of musicians like Bob Geldof. The governments of the industrialized countries came under pressure to do something.

Beginning in November 1984, a block border air transportation from the port of Assab on the Red Sea was organized inland. Under the conditions of the Cold War worked Bundeswehr, interflight and NVA together with at this task. Furthermore involved were France, Great Britain, Canada, Poland, Sweden and the Soviet Union and the United States.

During the famine, thousands Ethiopian Jews fled - as well as Christians and Muslims - in refugee camps in neighboring Sudan. As part of Operation Moses then were brought by air to Israel about 8000 of them.