Horn of Africa still in crisis; more funds needed to deliver life-saving aid

More than 9 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in the Horn of Africa where late and erratic rains have brought only partial relief to a region that was gripped by drought and famine a year ago.

“We’ve seen some improvement in the region because of humanitarian efforts but unless we continue with our response, any gains made since last year’s emergency could be wiped out because of continued drought and increasing food prices,” says David Orth-Moore, CRS’ regional director for East Africa. “Millions still need our assistance.”

Fews Net, USAID’s Famine Early Warning System, warns that many parts of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia will face food shortages in the coming months.

“We have received a great number of donations since the emergency peaked last July but more is needed to ensure that those affected don’t slide back to the emergency levels we saw in 2011,” Orth-Moore said, noting that CRS needs an additional $10 million over the next three years to help people affected by this food crisis. The problem is most acute in Somalia where thousands have been displaced due to drought and ongoing conflict.

CRS mounted an emergency response in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia in July last year, bringing critical assistance such as food, water and sanitation services to millions of people in need, including hundreds of thousands who fled Somalia’s famine to neighboring Kenya. Today, CRS continues to implement programs that help people regain their livelihoods and make them more resilient to future drought.

In Somalia, CRS has worked with local partners to provide health and nutrition services for displaced families, and is helping others to start small businesses so they will be better prepared for future droughts. In Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp, CRS has installed latrines and provided sanitation services and training to thousands of Somalis, while at the same time helping host communities that face the same problems recover their livelihoods. In Ethiopia, CRS has fed hundreds of thousands, and continues its critical work in watershed management to alleviate the effects of drought.

“Since the drought of 2011, CRS has continued to work in many of the affected communities to build resilience, working with farmers in improved crop techniques, in saving soil as well as in natural resource management,” Orth-Moore says. “The droughts in East Africa are becoming more frequent so we’re just working as hard as we can right now, in as many communities as we have funding for, to help people prepare.”

Earlier this month, seven aid agencies, including CRS, warned of a funding shortfall in Kenya’s Dadaab camp, the world’s largest refugee camp. The agencies warned that at least 200,000 people in the camp will face deteriorating conditions if $25 million isn’t raised.

For more information, contact Kim Pozniak at kim.pozniak@crs.org or 410-951-7281.

- ReliefWeb