SECRETARY-GENERAL’S SPECIAL ENVOY SEEKS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT TO BREAK CYCLE OF DROUGHT AND FAMINE IN HORN OF AFRICA

SECRETARY-GENERAL’S SPECIAL ENVOY SEEKS INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT

TO BREAK CYCLE OF DROUGHT AND FAMINE IN HORN OF AFRICA

GENEVA, 30 January (OCHA) -- The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the drought in the Greater Horn of Africa, Catherine Bertini, today launched an inter-agency appeal of $353 million to cover the needs of 13 million people affected by the drought in five countries in the Horn of Africa.

Emergency assistance will be required from January to December 2001 for food, shelter, water and sanitation, health and nutrition, agriculture, livestock, education, security and demining, logistics and coordination for drought-affected populations for Eritrea and Djibouti, and for six months for Ethiopia, Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania.

In her statement to senior representatives of donor countries, Ms. Bertini urged the international community to continue its effort to alleviate the suffering of the hundreds of thousands of people in the Greater Horn of Africa.

“Don’t stop the flow of relief assistance to the Horn”, Ms. Bertini said. “Together in 2000, we achieved a grand objective:  we averted a famine.  Every government and every person who made a contribution to this amazing and successful effort must be thanked and congratulated.  But the crisis is not over yet.  Millions of people are still at risk.”

The crisis is a consequence of three consecutive years of poor rains in the region.  In April 2000, in many parts of the Horn, there was no rain at all. Although some forecasts indicate improvements will occur in Ethiopia and Somalia, there are significant parts of Kenya, Eritrea, United Republic of Tanzania and Djibouti which are still awaiting signs of first normal rains this year.

A continuation of inadequate levels of rainfall could have devastating impact on the already fragile living conditions of populations in these areas, and lead to severe malnutrition, high incidence of diseases and more population displacements.

Ms. Bertini emphasized the importance of the need to more adequately address health, nutrition, water, agriculture and livestock needs.  These have been identified as target areas for the funds raised by this new appeal to donors.  “If we want to make a real difference, we have to properly address these sectors”, she explained, “as they are key to the recovery process”.

The international community contributed over $287 million, representing     75 per cent of total requirements, to last year’s inter-agency appeal.  However,   85 per cent of the funding received was earmarked for food, and very little was received to help the economic recovery of the countries concerned.

“We have stopped starvation in the Horn of Africa”, said Ms. Bertini.  “Now, we have to show the same commitment to people who don’t have enough water, people who don’t have medical care, people who don’t have seeds to grow their own food, or whose animals have died due to disease, thirst or starvation.”

“The Greater Horn of Africa is a chronic food deficit region and will continue to be affected by calamities such as drought”, she continued.  “The purpose of the present appeal is to save lives and reduce malnutrition, in particular among women and children.  But it is also to restore the coping mechanisms and assets of drought-affected populations to enable them to rebuild their lives and deal with the recurring problem of natural disasters.

“We now have the opportunity to do something more than just respond to a crisis situation”, the Special Envoy said.  “We have the opportunity to take on a new challenge.  It is the challenge of helping people to rebuild their lives and helping them to do so in a way that will mean we won’t have to provide so much aid in the future.”

For more information, please contact:  Donato Kiniger-Passigli, Spokesman, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs/Geneva:  Tel: (41-22) 917-2653, or Christiane Berthiaume, World Food Programme Public Affairs: Tel: (41-22) 917-8564.

* *** *