1972–1975 Wollo famine
The 1972–1975 Wollo famine was a major famine in the Ethiopian Empire during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie. The famine widely ravaged the two provinces as well as converging areas such as Afar-inhabited arid region by early 1972. During 1972 and 1973, the famine killed between 40,000 and 80,000 people. In response, the government initiated the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), a department that aimed to reduce the famine severity and coordinate international assistance. The famine led to mobilisation of pastoralists and nomads in general, while allowing feudal landlords to force tenants to pay high rents while escorting their retinue of armed guards.
| 1972–1975 Wollo famine | |
|---|---|
Mother with starving child in Amhara region, c. 1973. | |
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Location | Wollo province |
| Period | 1972–1975 |
| Death rate | 250,000 |
| Consequences | Ethiopian Revolution |
| Preceded by | 1958 Tigray famine |
| Succeeded by | 1983–1985 famine |
The Wollo famine is regarded as the main cause of Haile Selassie's government collapse. It has been estimated that the death toll reached 250,000 people in 1975. This coupled the peasants revolution in Ethiopia, which continued through the successive Derg regime. Similarly was the rebellion of Dejazmach Berhane Meskel, who assaulted former landlords and government security forces, as well as attacking the Derg government for multiple years.