More investments needed to end drought in Horn of Africa – UN.
The United Nations is urging for more investment in long-term projects to protect people in developing countries from droughts, following a visit by heads of UN agencies to Ethiopia, where 9.5 million people are in need of food assistance.
Ethiopia’s Somali Region, where rains have failed for the third consecutive year, is experiencing emergency levels of hunger – one level below famine in a five-point scale used by food agencies.
While touring the region last week, the heads of the United Nations food agencies said more investment is needed in long-term projects to protect people in developing countries from drought.
One thing is for sure, we’ve got to scale up.
The heads of the UN food agencies said investment in irrigation, water points, rural financial institutions, health and veterinary services helps communities to protect themselves and their livestock through even a devastating drought.
One thing is for sure, we cannot continue going by a project approach.
You have the drought here, which means the cattle the livestock suffer, which means the people suffer, which means there’s hunger that is the issue here.
Everyone around here has experienced the same level of suffering caused by the drought,” said Fatuma Muktar Sheikh Abdulnasir.
According to the U.N, close to 17 million people across the Horn of Africa need humanitarian aid due to drought, including 2.6 million in Kenya and 3.2 million in Somalia.