Medeshi Sept 20 , 2008Boost Africa aid by $700m, UN says
The biggest problems were in Ethiopia and Somalia. (AFP: Mustafa Ozer, file photo)
UN emergency relief coordinator John Holmes has called on wealthy donor countries to provide $700 million in emergency aid to avoid famine in the Horn of Africa.
Mr Holmes says as many as 17 million people are in urgent need of food in the region.
"We can avoid the situations of the 1980s and the 1990s which were genuine famines at different times," he said.
"But we do need extra resources, very quickly indeed if we are going to avoid going back to famine situations."
Mr Holmes said the crisis was becoming even more desperate due to the combined effects of drought, rising food prices and conflict.
The biggest problems were in Ethiopia and Somalia.
In Ethiopia, the number of people needing emergency support is now more than 6 million.
He said that 43 per cent of the population of Somalia were in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
Mr Holmes says the conditions in the region are the worst they have been in many years.
"People there talk to me in desperation about the worst situation since 1928 when the whole of their livestock died," he said.
"This situation looks to them as bad as that, particularly if it doesn't rain in the next month or two there to provide at least some grazing.
"There was no prospect of cereal harvest there until well into next year."
- BBC
The biggest problems were in Ethiopia and Somalia. (AFP: Mustafa Ozer, file photo)
UN emergency relief coordinator John Holmes has called on wealthy donor countries to provide $700 million in emergency aid to avoid famine in the Horn of Africa.
Mr Holmes says as many as 17 million people are in urgent need of food in the region.
"We can avoid the situations of the 1980s and the 1990s which were genuine famines at different times," he said.
"But we do need extra resources, very quickly indeed if we are going to avoid going back to famine situations."
Mr Holmes said the crisis was becoming even more desperate due to the combined effects of drought, rising food prices and conflict.
The biggest problems were in Ethiopia and Somalia.
In Ethiopia, the number of people needing emergency support is now more than 6 million.
He said that 43 per cent of the population of Somalia were in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
Mr Holmes says the conditions in the region are the worst they have been in many years.
"People there talk to me in desperation about the worst situation since 1928 when the whole of their livestock died," he said.
"This situation looks to them as bad as that, particularly if it doesn't rain in the next month or two there to provide at least some grazing.
"There was no prospect of cereal harvest there until well into next year."
- BBC
