This short documentary film from the early 1980s titled “Ethiopia: Parched Land and Promises” acts as both promotional and awareness material for Unicef’s work in Ethiopia as well as warning signs of another mass scale drought and famine. The film features scenes of Ethiopian mothers and children joyously celebrating and suffering from the consequences of drought. Co-produced by Unicef and Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation NRK, this film highlights Unicef’s main programming goals of providing drinking water, feeding children, and developing primary health care practices around Ethiopia. Narrated by Norman Rose, the film details the Ethiopian famine of 1973-1974 and the undertakings the country has carried out to better respond to such a disaster and also details what seem to be the symptoms of the next major crisis Ethiopia would face with the 1983-1985 famine. Unicef has been present in Ethiopia since 1952 and officials began to frequently visit the country to deliver medical supplies and organize vaccinations of children. In 1958, Unicef established its first office in Addis Ababa and in 1963 signed a formal Basic Cooperation Agreement (BCA) with the Government.
Opening credits (0:07). Children’s Day celebrations in a village in Ethiopia, traditional music plays during segments (0:16-0:49). Freeze frame on celebration, tone of film changes (0:56). Clips of young Ethiopians suffering from the consequences of drought and famine during the Ethiopian Drought of 1973-1974 (1:04). Villagers walk through the desert to try and find food (1:27). Map of Ethiopia showing the geographical reach of the drought in crescent belt from northeast to southwest (1:40). Ethiopian Airlines 1939 DC-3 model plane (1:54). Maize flower, supplied by the Ethiopian government’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, unloaded off of the plane in Bume, Ethiopia (2:05). People eagerly await next food lift at Surma, Ethiopia (3:08). Interview with who is perhaps Shimelis Adugna (3:27). Dried up water holes (3:58). Process of gathering water from one of the holes (4:20). Narrator details Unicef’s project to promote safe drinking water (4:55). Hungry children gather in a group (5:43). Unicef child feeding station running in conjunction with Save the Children (6:01). Resettlement camp along the shores of the Shebelle River for IDPs (internally displaced people) (6:43). New droughts effects on IDP settlements (7:38). Village men off to bury victim of drought (8:07). Effects of drought on children (8:11). Water delivery to village affected by drought (9:20). Young woman teaching villagers community health practices (9:56). Unicef primary care health center (10:18). IDP tents across desert landscape (10:45). Closing credits (11:40). Unicef logo (12:04).
Shimelis Adugna is an Ethiopian diplomat and official who was the former president of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society. He developed and strengthened the Society’s ability to respond to disaster and humanitarian needs.
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