Millions facing starvation in Africa, warns charity
Up to 11 million people across East Africa face starvation after the worst drought in 20 years hit the poverty-stricken region, a charity warned today.
The lack of rain across Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Djibouti, over the past two years has seen wells and watering holes dry up completely, according to Christian Aid.
Up to 80% of cattle herds have died in the drought, as aid agencies receive reports of people dying of thirst and others being driven to drinking their own urine to survive.
“This is a crisis on the verge of becoming a catastrophe,” Dominic Nutt, the charity’s emergencies specialist, said today from Nairobi, Kenya.
“There are dead cattle everywhere and people have sold everything they have to buy food. These are the last few weeks that many people are going to be able to survive without help.”
Mr Nutt has travelled to the region to highlight the plight of the 11 million people the United Nations estimates are at risk of dying if aid does not reach East Africa in the next few weeks.
In Somalia the problem has been made even worse by the country’s dire security situation.
The troubled state has had no central government since the military regime was overthrown in 1991 by opposing clans.
Without any effective leadership, the country has plunged into lawlessness with regions governed by warlords.
This has made delivering aid to the estimated 1.4 million people who need help, almost impossible.
In the Geddo region of the Somalia, aid workers and local people are frequently forced to pay bribes to armed militias, who have set up roadblocks and refuse to recognise charities.
Across the region, Christian Aid has received reports of people dying of thirst, while up to 70% of livestock have been lost as the predominately pastoralist communities move their cattle in a desperate search for food and water.
But the watering holes have dried up and food and animal fodder are scarce across the region.
Many people are left with a stark choice of selling their animals for a few days food, or waiting for the rains to fall.
“Food, water and humanitarian aid must reach those affected by the crisis urgently if we are to prevent widespread starvation,” Mr Nutt said.
Christian Aid is already working with partners in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Tanzania to provide immediate aid.
But the charity, which has launched an emergency appeal to help save the millions facing starvation in the region, said that although drought had provoked the immediate crisis, poverty remained the underlying problem in the region.
The area will continue to suffer drought due to environmental degradation and climate change, according to Christian Aid.
They have pledged to help people recover from the effects of the drought by providing seeds and tools and repairing or rebuilding local irrigation pumps and engines to avoid a repeat of the crisis.
:: To donate to Christian Aid’s East Africa emergency appeal go to www.christian-aid.org.uk/eastafrica/ index.htm.
