"We Are The World" throwback 1985

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Background

A widespread famine affected the inhabitants of today's Eritrea and Ethiopia from 1983 to 1985.

Close to 8 million people became famine victims during the drought of 1984, and over 1 million died. In the same year (October 23), a BBC news crew was the first to document the famine, with Michael Buerk describing "a biblical famine in the 20th Century" and "the closest thing to hell on Earth". The report shocked Britain, motivating its citizens to bring world attention to the crisis in Ethiopia.


BBC reporter Michael Buerk holding a child during the famine (The Week)

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In January 1985 the RAF carried out the first airdrops from Hercules C-130s delivering food to the starving people. Other countries including Sweden,[29] East and West Germany, Poland, Canada, USA and the Soviet Union were also involved in the international response.

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Charity

Buerk's news piece was seen by Irish singer Bob Geldof, who quickly organised the charity supergroup Band Aid. their single, "Do They Know It's Christmas?", was released on 3 December 1984 and became Britain's best-selling single within a few weeks, eventually selling 3.69 million copies domestically. All proceeds from the single, apart from Value-added tax, went to charities working to relieve the famine.

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Live Aid, a 1985 fund-raising effort headed by Geldof, induced millions of people in the West to donate money and to urge their governments to participate in the relief effort in Ethiopia. Some of the proceeds also went to the famine hit areas of Eritrea. The event raised £145 million.


Bob Geldof, July 13, 1985: Live Aid The biggest rock concert and charity event in history