UN: Boost aid to Africa
2009-05-12 18:21
Geneva - The United Nations on Tuesday appealed for donors to step up aid to Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, where more than 19 million people are in urgent need of food.
Drought and high food prices were hurting whole populations, said John Holmes, the UN's top humanitarian official.
"Overall, more than 19 million people... in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya are in urgent need of food or humanitarian assistance," he told reporters in Geneva, adding that "significant resources" were needed this year to help these countries cope.
Mark Bowden, UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, said the response to an aid appeal for $984m for Somalia has been "disappointing," with only 35% of the appeal met so far.
Similarly, only a quarter of an appeal for $578m for Kenya had been met, said the UN humanitarian coordinator for Kenya Aeneas Chuma
Meanwhile, in Ethiopia, the World Food Programme has said it needs an additional $236m this year.
Holmes acknowledged that donors may find it harder to give funds during the current economic slowdown, but stressed that "the seriousness of the situation warrant" the extra effort.
