Ethiopian food aid goes for arms, ex-official says

Most of the world's food aid to drought-stricken northern Ethiopia goes to the Ethiopian Army or the Soviet Union as payment for arms, the Sunday Times reported.

The newspaper quoted a defected senior Ethiopian government official as saying only the tiniest proportion of the international aid reaches the starving millions. And a relief official said the Soviets had made clear they expect the bills to be paid and that the aid is about the only currency Ethiopia's military council has available.