IRIN Humanitarian Web Special: Surviving disaster

Catherine Bertini, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, seeks international support to break the cycle of drought and famine in the Horn Of Africa

Geneva, 30 January (UN OCHA) - The United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the drought in the Greater Horn of Africa, Catherine Bertini, launched today an interagency appeal of $ 353 million to cover the needs of 13 million people affected by the drought in five countries in the Horn of Africa.

Emergency assistance will be required from January to December 2001 in sectors comprising: food, shelter, water and sanitation, health and nutrition, agriculture, livestock, education, security and de-mining, logistics and coordination for drought-affected populations in Eritrea and Djibouti and for six months for Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.

In her statement to senior representatives of donor countries, Ms. Bertini urged the international community to pursue its effort in alleviating the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people in the Greater Horn of Africa. "Don't stop the flow of relief assistance to the Horn", said the UN Special Envoy. "Together in 2000, we achieved a grand objective: we averted a famine. Every government, every person who made a contribution to this amazing and successful effort must be thanked and congratulated. But the crisis is not over yet. Millions of people are still at risk."

The crisis is the consequence of three consecutive years of poor rains in the region followed by the total failure of rains in April 2000 in many parts of the Horn of Africa.

Although some forecasts indicate improvements in Ethiopia and Somalia, there are significant parts of Kenya, Eritrea, Tanzania and Djibouti which are still awaiting signs of first normal rains this year.

Inadequate rains could have devastating impact on the already fragile living conditions of populations in these areas. Such impact could lead to severe malnutrition, high incidence of diseases and more population displacements.

Ms. Bertini emphasized to donors the importance of addressing more adequately this year the health, nutrition, water, agriculture and livestock sectors of the new appeal. "If we want to make a real difference, we have to properly address these sectors", said the UN Special Envoy. "They are key to the recovery process."

The international community contributed over $ 287 million, representing 75 per cent of the total requirements to last year's interagency appeal. However, 85 per cent of the funding received represented contributions to the food sector and very little was received to help the economic recovery of the countries concerned.

"We have stopped starvation in the Horn of Africa", said Ms. Bertini. "Now, we have to show the same commitment to people who don't have enough water, people who don't have medical care, people who don't have seeds to be able to grow their own food, or whose animals die to disease, thirst or starvation."

The Greater Horn of Africa is a chronic food deficit region and will continue to be affected by calamities such as drought.

The purpose of the present appeal is to save lives and reduce malnutrition, in particular among women and children. But it is also to restore the coping mechanisms and assets of drought-affected populations to enable them to rebuild their lives and deal with the recurring problem of natural disasters.

"We now have the opportunity to do something more than just respond to a crisis situation", said the UN Special Envoy. "We have the opportunity to take on a new challenge. It is the challenge of helping people to rebuild their lives and helping to do so in a way that we won't have to provide so much aid for the future."

For more information, please contact:

Donato Kiniger-Passigli
Spokesman OCHA/Geneva
41.22.9172653
or Christiane Berthiaume
WFP/Geneva Public Affairs
41.22.917.8564