Hunger crisis in Horn of Africa
2008-12-11 21:36
Geneva - The Red Cross federation says 20 million people in the Horn of Africa are barely surviving because of acute hunger.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says more food aid is urgently needed to prevent outright famine in parts of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya.
The federation says droughts, high food prices and the fluctuating value of the US dollar are the main reasons for the crisis.
It says many in the East African region are already suffering from chronic poverty and were uprooted by violence.
The federation asked donors on Thursday for 113 million Swiss francs to bring urgent aid to over 2.2 million people in the region.
- AP