-
Internally displaced Somalis carry their belongings - Source: Reuters -
Related
New Zealand will provide $2 million in response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa due to severe drought.
"Up to 10 million people are starving across Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti, including 2.5 million people in Somalia and 3.2 million people in Ethiopia," Foreign Minister Murray McCully said today.
"The international assessment is that the situation is deteriorating rapidly. Dramatic increases in food prices and prolonged civil conflict in Somalia are worsening the crisis.
McCully said new Zealand's contribution will be made via the United Nation's World Food Programme (WFP) and accredited New Zealand non-government organisations (NGOs) with established partnerships in the affected region.
"New Zealand will provide NZ$1 million to the WFP to support their work to feed 6.6 million people across the region.
"An additional NZ$1 million will support New Zealand NGOs to respond to humanitarian needs." he said.
New Zealand's support is in addition to an earlier NZ$1 million contribution provided to WFP in April when warnings of the ongoing humanitarian crisis were raised by the international community.