Press Release

7 April 2006

Drought in Horn of Africa – Statement by International Development Secretary Hilary Benn

Commenting on the regional appeal “Horn of Africa 2006” launched by the UN's Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs today, Hilary Benn, International Development Secretary, said:

“Parts of the Horn of Africa are suffering from the worst drought for more than a decade. The UN estimates that as a consequence of this over 7 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. The UK has been at the forefront of the relief effort, which has now been underway for many months.

“The Department for International Development has now committed nearly £41 million in humanitarian assistance to the worst affected countries in the last year. This money is helping the UN, and charities to deliver urgently needed food aid, water supplies, emergency health care, and life saving nutritional therapy for children.

“It is equally important at this stage that the assistance made available by donors is turned into effective action on the ground.

“I urge other donors to step forward, in an effort to prevent the effects of this drought from worsening.”

The UK is the second largest bilateral donor in response to the drought (after the US) and is also providing funding through the European Commission. DFID has now committed £40.9m to the immediate relief effort in the Horn: around £12m in Somalia, £21.7m in Kenya, £5m in Ethiopian and £2.1m in Eritrea.

Malnutrition rates are high in the worst affected areas of southern Ethiopia, southern Somalia and northern Kenya, affecting between one in three and one in five children. Up to 250,000 children are in need of urgent emergency help.

There are however encouraging signs that the main rains in the region in 2006 are getting underway, with good rainfall across the region in the past couple of weeks. This is not the end of the crisis, indeed heavy rains can bring their own short term problems, but a strong start to the long rains is the key to recovery in the area.

Through its development programme DFID is working to tackle the underlying causes of the persistent food crises affecting the region, and elsewhere in Africa including the eradication of extreme hunger and poverty.

Related Links

• UK action on Hunger in Africa
• Drought in the horn of Africa
• How can you help
• World Food Programme
• International of the Red Cross
• UNICEF
• World Health Organization

For further information, contact 020 7023 0600, e-mail pressoffice@dfid.gov.uk or call our Public Enquiries Point on 0845 300 4100