The Meles regime says there is no hunger

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Ethiopia on Saturday refuted some foreign media and humanitarian organizations for their exaggerated reports on the current food shortage in pocket areas of the country.

"It is ridiculous and unethical that some media outlets are reporting as if food grain price hike is typical of Ethiopia, though it is known that the existing global price hike is a result of soaring price of oil and ever-increasing demand of food grain among the developing countries," the Ministry of Information said in a statement.

Such fabricated reports cannot undermine Ethiopia's rapid economic growth registered during the last successive years, said the ministry.

"The rapid national economic growth cannot be undermined by exaggerating minor problems," it said.

Recent reports from some foreign media said a severe drought in Ethiopia threatens up to 6 million children.

"The reporting of some media is very much exaggerated and far from the truth," it said.

The government and the public have been striving to ensure the double-digit economic growth the nation registered during the last five consecutive years in order to extricate the country out of poverty, it said.

Though the irregular rainfall witnessed during the last Belg (small rain) season created temporal food shortage in some parts of the country, the government and farmers are striving to boost agricultural production during the remaining time of the current crop season, it added.

The statement said the government is doing its level best toward resolving the existing food shortage witnessed in pocket areas of the nation.

"The problem cannot be out of control," said the ministry.

Source:Xinhua