With its commitment to alleviate suffering and hunger in the the Horn of Africa, the United States of America today announced an additional $58 million in assistance for people in the Horn of Africa who are still living with the effects of conflict, drought and economic challenges.
In her remarks at Washington DC, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the United States continues to be concerned by the crisis in the Horn of Africa.
She notes that although the famine in Somalia ended earlier this year, more than two million people in that country still urgently need humanitarian aid.
“And the overall humanitarian situation in the region remains fragile; more than 9 million people in the Horn need assistance.” -Ms. Clinton
Ms. Clinton stresses that the United States is also fighting chronic food insecurity by helping vulnerable communities diversify and adapt their livelihoods, improve smallholder agricultural and other efforts so they can become more resilient.
“The United States is proud to be the largest humanitarian donor to the region.” -Ms. Clinton
Since 2011, the US has provided over $1.3 billion in emergency assistance for affected populations in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti.
The US government pledges to keep working with its partners and targeting those most in need until every man, woman, and child has the chance to live healthy lives and realize their potential.
In October 2011, Secretary Clinton announced an additional $100 million, primarily in food assistance, for drought-affected populations in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. With this announcement, the United States Government, the largest humanitarian donor to the region, is providing over $750 million to meet ongoing and urgent humanitarian needs, including approximately $175 million in humanitarian assistance for Somalia.
More than 13.3 million people are in need of emergency assistance in the Horn of Africa, primarily in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. The United States is deeply concerned by the humanitarian emergency in the Horn of Africa, the famine that is occurring in parts of Somalia, the ongoing conflict and political instability within Somalia, and the escalating refugee crisis across the region.
The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to the region, now providing over $750 million in life-saving assistance to those in need. This assistance has reached nearly 4.6 million people, many of whom would otherwise have died from starvation or related diseases.
The situation in the Horn of Africa is described as “the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.
