Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - More than 14 million people located in the Horn of Africa are in need of urgent food aid and other humanitarian assistance. This was what a report from the Regional Humanitarian Partnership Team said. The crisis is being caused by the drought conditions in the area and the rising food prices.
The emergency is exacerbated by the erosion of livelihoods among the landless, pastoralists, internally displaced persons and the urban poor across the region. Disease outbreaks fueled by poor hygiene and sanitation in drought affected areas, and poor health and nutrition services including low immunization coverage also worsen the conditions. Mothers and children are most at risk. The members of the Regional Humanitarian Partnership Team have made an appeal to the governments in the region and all humanitarian partners including donors to act promptly to save lives and prevent an escalation of the crisis.
The crisis is affecting the entire area. In Ethiopia, 4.6 million people are in need of emergency food support. This is an increase from 2.2 million in the period from January to March 2008. An additional 5.7 million drought affected people will require extended support in order to survive.
Somalia, a country that has been without a central government since 1991 and has suffered civil war, has suffered rains in the southern and central parts of the country this year. The number of vulnerable people in need of humanitarian assistance has increased by 40 percent since January 2008 to 2.6 million people, representing 35 percent of the population.
Kenya is also experiencing widespread food insecurity with 1.2 million people in need of food assistance and an estimated 70 percent of the overall population affected by rising food prices. Staple food prices have gone up between 30 and 50 percent over the past year.
In Eritrea, the likelihood of drought this cropping season is high as there has been little precipitation during the rainy season from October 2007-February 2008.
In Djibouti, rainfall is 50 percent below the normal pattern. As a result, a total of 80,000 people are in acute food and livelihood crisis. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 8/7/2008)
