This thesis is a study of the international relief assistance to Ethiopia during the 1984-86 famine. It begins by examining the country's glorious past vis-a-vis its present international status. In Part One, the underlying causes of the famine are discussed to provide a background to the subsequent analysis of the international relief effort. Also discussed, is the role of the international media in alerting public opinion and successfully transforming the famine into an issue of international concern. In Part Two, the responses of the various actors are analysed: in particular the bilateral response of Ethiopia's political allies and her opponents; of the Western non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the role of the United Nations in coordinating the international relief effort at the multilateral level. Part Three (Chapter Eight), tests the theoretical assumptions outlined at the beginning of the thesis. With regard to the first, namely the relative importance of opponents and allies, the study concludes Ethiopia's political opponents were more responsive to her appeal for emergency relief than her allies. With regard to the second, namely the role of the NGOs the conclusion is that these organizations played the most important role in shaping the international response to the emergency. Chapter Nine summarizes our general conclusions.
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