“With a crisis threatening millions of people in the Horn of Africa, the international community cannot afford to sit idly by,” said the General secretary of the United Nations in an act of pledges of contributions to raise 7000 million dollars for the region, held this Wednesday at the UN headquarters in New York.
More than 43 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia continue to suffer from one of the worst droughts in recent memory, caused by five consecutive seasons of poor rainfall.
Years of conflict and insecurity have caused massive displacements, while the soaring prices of food and, more recently, the fighting in Sudan, have exacerbated the situation.
call to action
The act of commitment was called by the UN and Italy, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United States, in collaboration with the three affected countries.
During his speech, António Guterres urged action “to prevent the crisis from becoming a catastrophe.” “Let’s act together now, with greater urgency and much more support,” he declared.
Families in search of food
Guterres further explained that he had seen firsthand the devastating impact of the drought during his recent visits to Kenya and Somalia.
“In some areas of northern Kenyaparched landscapes and dead cattle have forced families to leave their homes in search of water, food and income“, said.
During his stay in the Somali town of Baidoa, he met with communities that have lost their livelihoods due to drought and unsafetyas the battle against Al-Shabaab militants continues.
“I was deeply moved by their struggles. And inspired by their resilience, courage and determination to rebuild their lives. But they can’t do it alone,” she said.
step up support
The Secretary General assured that “action will make a difference.” Last year, donors provided vital aid to 20 million people and helped avert famine.
In this sense, Guterres called for a increased support for humanitarian plans for the region, which are currently less than 20% financed. “This is unacceptable,” she said, warning that without an immediate financial injection, “emergency operations will stall and people will die.”
Increase resilience to climate change
According to World Health Organization and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the drought that ravaged Somalia last year claimed 40,000 livesof which half were children under five years of age.
Although recent rains have brought some relief, vulnerable communities continue to face another year of immense hardship.
“The people of the Horn of Africa are paying an exorbitant price by a climate crisis that has not causedGuterres said.
“We owe them solidarity. We owe them help. And we owe them some hope for the future. This means immediate action to ensure their survival. And it means a sustained action to help communities across the Horn of Africa adapt and build resilience to climate change.”
