ABOUT $1.4 billion in aid has been pledged as drought threatens millions with starvation in Horn of Africa.
The UN is worried that another poor season of rain could be catastrophic.
The UN’s head of emergency relief sounded the warning yesterday that upwards of 2 million children are at risk of starving to death, while millions of others faced severe food insecurity.
The UN described the situation as stark in six areas of Somalia, where if seasonal rains did not fall, famine could result.
Speaking at a donor conference in Geneva, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths laid out the dire situation and said only a fraction of the budget was in hand.
“Once again, vulnerable people across the Horn of Africa are falling victim to the cruelty of acute hunger and potential famine in a crisis that is not of their own making. We must all step up and show the people of this region that we are here to help alleviate their suffering,” Griffiths said, adding that if there were to be a fourth failed rainy season, it could bring with it “one of the worst climate-induced emergencies in its history.”
After Griffiths made his appeal, donors pledged $1.39 billion (€1.3 billion) for humanitarian and development aid.