UN: 17m need food in Horn of Africa

Antaletriangle · 09-21-2008, 02:35 PM

UN: 17m need food in Horn of Africa
Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:52:10 GMT

The UN humanitarian chief says nearly 17 million people in the Horn of Africa urgently need food, up from 9 million in early 2008.

John Holmes said the humanitarian emergency hasn't yet escalated to a famine, but he warned that if donors don't provide USD 716m very quickly the Horn could return to the famine situations of the 1980s and the 1990s.

"The overall food security situation in the Horn of Africa - which includes parts of Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, and Uganda - is getting even more serious than it was before because of the combined effects of drought and rising food prices, and in some places conflict," he told a news conference.

"We reckon there are nearly 17 million people in this region that are now in urgent need of food and other emergency humanitarian assistance," including 3 million children, Holmes said. "This number could even rise as the drought deepens and the hunger season continues."

Early this year, the UN estimated that 9 million people in the Horn of Africa were in urgent need of food.

Holmes said the situation has worsened because the region is experiencing perhaps "the worst effects" of soaring food prices, a third year of drought, and conflicts in Somalia, parts of Ethiopia and elsewhere.

The UN estimates it needs USD 1.4b to help the 17 million people in need until the end of the year - but it only has USD 684m. That means it desperately needs USD 716m to cover needs from October to December, he said.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id...onid=351020501

09-21-2008, 02:35 PM	#1
Antaletriangle Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: U.K. Posts: 3,380	UN: 17m need food in Horn of Africa UN: 17m need food in Horn of Africa Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:52:10 GMT The UN humanitarian chief says nearly 17 million people in the Horn of Africa urgently need food, up from 9 million in early 2008. John Holmes said the humanitarian emergency hasn't yet escalated to a famine, but he warned that if donors don't provide USD 716m very quickly the Horn could return to the famine situations of the 1980s and the 1990s. "The overall food security situation in the Horn of Africa - which includes parts of Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, and Uganda - is getting even more serious than it was before because of the combined effects of drought and rising food prices, and in some places conflict," he told a news conference. "We reckon there are nearly 17 million people in this region that are now in urgent need of food and other emergency humanitarian assistance," including 3 million children, Holmes said. "This number could even rise as the drought deepens and the hunger season continues." Early this year, the UN estimated that 9 million people in the Horn of Africa were in urgent need of food. Holmes said the situation has worsened because the region is experiencing perhaps "the worst effects" of soaring food prices, a third year of drought, and conflicts in Somalia, parts of Ethiopia and elsewhere. The UN estimates it needs USD 1.4b to help the 17 million people in need until the end of the year - but it only has USD 684m. That means it desperately needs USD 716m to cover needs from October to December, he said. http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id...onid=351020501