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12th
January, 2006
Severe droughts and conflicts in the Horn of Africa
have left millions of people facing starvation, according
to an alert issued by a key UN body late last week.
More than 11 million people in Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti and
Ethiopia are estimated to be in need of assistance, according
to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
This includes around two million people, mostly in the south
of Somalia, who need assistance as a result of severe drought
with the forthcoming rainy season crop estimated to be the
lowest in a decade. The World Food Programme has suggested
about 64,000 tonnes of food aid is needed to feed this drought-affected
population until June 2006.
In Kenya, meanwhile, prolonged drought has led to crop failure
and depleted livestock herds with the government calling $US150
million to provide food to 2.5 million people over the next
six months. In Djibouti, almost 150,000 people are said to
be facing food shortages thanks to severe drought conditions
while more than a million people in the Somali region of Ethiopia
are facing severe food shortages.
- DAVID ADAMS
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