"I do understand that there are many issues to be addressed, but we have to work hand-in-hand to break the recurrence of food shortages," Martti Ahtisaari said after a tour of agricultural and water projects around this town, 580 kilometres (360 miles) southeast of the capital, Addis Ababa.

Ahtisaari is to review the overall humanitarian situation in Ethiopia with a special focus on chronic food insecurity and strategies to reduce vulnerability to future droughts, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

"Since my last visit to Ethiopia in July, the food situation has improved, with some feeding centres already closed, but there is a lot more to do in the future," Ahtisaari said.

He, however, warned that even though he had tried to explain the region's problems with food security to donors, after his first visit, "the donors' reactions remained worrisome."

Ahtisaari was referring to a coalition formed in Addis Ababa last October between non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the Ethiopian government and UN agencies to strengthen food security to ward off future crises.

"But when I took this to international donors for financial support, they did not reject it, but received it cooly," Ahtisaari said.

Although Ethiopia, with its big population and magnitude of drought problems in the past, has been able to attract massive donor response, Eritrea, with a population of around three million, might not attract a similar massive response, he said.

Ahtisaari also warned that the stalled border demarcation could also have an impact on development efforts in the two countries, "as huge resources will be spent on unproductive activities."

Asked if he will raise the border issue with both Meles and Eritrean President Issaias Afeworki, Ahtisaari said: "There are many issues to discuss, but I am mandateed by the UN Secretary General to look into ways and means to avert the humanitarian crisis and find a way how governments and non-governmental organisations can join hands to do the job."

Both Horn of Africa neighbours went to war between 1998 and 2000 over the border, and last month the UN said it was unable to commence demarcation as planned.

In August, Ethiopia appealed for an additional 250,000 tonnes of emergency food aid, saying the number of people in need following a prolonged drought had risen to 13.2 million.

Ahtisaari, a former Finnish president, arrived in Addis Ababa Wednesday and has already held talks with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. He was due to travel on Sunday to Eritrea.

TERRA.WIRE