Geneva (agencies)
The United Nations has appealed for immediate financial assistance to the Horn of Africa, stressing that more than 18 million people have been affected by the drought and warning that the situation is likely to worsen in the coming weeks. “We have no time left, we are in dire need of money to save lives,” UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths said during a press conference in Geneva after a two-day visit to Kenya.
From southern Ethiopia to northern Kenya via Somalia, the Horn of Africa is facing a drought that worries humanitarian organizations, while starvation threatens about 20 million people. In these areas, where the population lives mainly on agriculture and livestock, the last three seasons of rain have seen a decrease in precipitation levels, accompanied by a locust infestation that destroyed crops between 2019 and 2021.
“More than 18 million people in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya have been affected by drought, most of them are waking up starving and not knowing if they will eat on that day or not,” Griffiths said.
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