The World - News from Dec. 31, 1987

The Soviet Union says it will ship food and medicine to Marxist-ruled Ethiopia to help alleviate the latest drought-caused famine, but the announcement by the official Tass news agency provided no details as to when or how much aid would be forthcoming. Western sources have said neither the Soviets nor their allies shipped any food to Ethiopia during the country’s last famine in 1984-85, when as many as 1 million people died. The United States was the biggest individual donor three years ago, giving $252 million in food aid and $23.8 million in non-food aid, according to figures issued by the United Nations.