A deadly mix of persistent drought, conflict and the high cost of food are again threatening millions of lives in the Horn of Africa, with the global financial crisis intensifying the danger and desperation across the region, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today.
Already short on funding, WFP is feeding over 17 million people in the East African region, with numbers expected to rise in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, northern Uganda and Djibouti in the coming months.
“We are knocking on the door of a major regional crisis,” said Ramiro Lopes da Silva, WFP's Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa.
“Millions of people across the region are seeing their lives spiral steadily downwards as this frightening confluence of factors - all beyond their control - pushes them closer to destitution,” stressed Mr. Lopes da Silva.
On top of the mounting humanitarian crisis, WFP is suffering a funding shortfall of almost $450 million needed to continue feeding the hungry in the region for the next six months.
Urging donors to step forward quickly and generously before it is too late, Mr. Lopes da Silva said that WFP have reached millions by using “our limited resources intelligently and creatively, but there is no disguising the worrying gaps in our budget for our operations in the Horn.”
WFP said that humanitarian assistance is vital for people who are struggling to survive as they sell off assets in a bid to pull through the successive years of drought and conflict, combined with the high price of food on local markets.
