The United States has pledged another $100 million to help people in drought-affected areas of East Africa. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday the aid will be primarily in the form of food assistance to those in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. The region is struggling with a severe drought that has left nearly 13 […]
US Pledges $100 Million for Drought-Stricken Horn of Africa
Drought Triggers Crisis in Pacific Island Region
Two Pacific island groups have declared states of emergency due to a severe lack of fresh water caused by a lingering drought. The 1,400 residents of Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand, are down to a week-long supply of bottled water that was delivered last Saturday from Samoa. The independent nation of Tuvalu, meanwhile, has […]
Red Cross Races to Reach 1 Million Starving Somalis
The International Committee of the Red Cross says it hopes to deliver aid to one-million starving Somalis in the hardest-hit famine regions by the end of the year. Spokeswoman Nicole Engelbrecht told VOA on Wednesday that people in southern and central Somalia desperately need food, water, health care and other emergency aid just to stay […]
UN: Nearly Half of Somali Famine Victims Have Received Food Aid
The United Nations says emergency food aid has reached about 1.85 million Somalis, nearly half of the people in need in the drought-stricken African nation. However, the report released Tuesday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that four million Somalis remain in crisis nationwide, and that 750,000 people risk death […]
More Aid Coming to African Drought Victims
Starving refugees in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa could soon be getting more help. The World Bank Saturday said it is increasing aid to the region to $1.88 billion, which includes $500 million already allocated to relief efforts. World Bank President Robert Zoellick said the goal is to help victims of the current drought and […]
Al-Shabab Returning Somali Refugees to Famine Zones
A traditional leader in southern Somalia says al-Shabab militants are returning families to famine zones they fled. Ugas Isaq Ibrahim Hassan told VOA the Islamist extremists began moving the families out of the al-Shabab-controlled town of Baidoa earlier this week. Hassan said the al-Qaida-linked group gave the families 100 kilograms of rice, flour, cooking oil […]
East Africa Summit: Drought Aid Failing, Security Risk Rising
Desperate famine victims in Somalia are not getting the food and relief supplies they need, and some African leaders say that failure could soon risk the region’s security. Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki told delegates at a United Nations’ summit in Nairobi Friday that famine victims continue to pour into relief camps in his country. And […]
East Africa Summit: Drought Aid Failing, Security Risk Rising
Desperate famine victims in Somalia are not getting the food and relief supplies they need, and some African leaders say that failure could soon risk the region’s security. Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki told delegates at a United Nations’ summit in Nairobi Friday that famine victims continue to pour into relief camps in his country. And […]
Forecasters Predict Return of Rainfall to Southern Somalia
The U.N. weather agency is forecasting a return to normal or above normal rainfall conditions in famine-hit southern Somalia. The World Meteorological Organization said its prediction, issued Wednesday, is for the September-to-December period, an important rainfall season for southern Somalia and other equatorial regions in the Horn of Africa. The Horn is struggling with a […]
Forecasters Predict Return of Rainfall to Southern Somalia
The U.N. weather agency is forecasting a return to normal or above-normal rainfall conditions in famine-hit southern Somalia. The World Meteorological Organization said its prediction, released Wednesday, is for the September to December period, an important rainfall season for southern Somalia and other equatorial regions in the Horn of Africa. The Horn is struggling with […]