Famine in Somalia, Horn of Africa Described as "Worst Humanitarian Disaster in the World"

[Jefferson23]

From Democracy Now:


U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has issued an urgent appeal over the crisis in Somalia, where more than 11 million people are in need of life-saving assistance as they face the worst drought in decades. The United Nations describes the Somali drought as the worst humanitarian disaster in the world, and a top U.N. official, Valerie Amos, urged the world to make the link between climate change and the drought. The extended drought is forcing an estimated 3,000 people a day from Somalia to neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia. We speak to Yves van Loo in Nairobi of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Somalia, who was in Mogadishu just two weeks ago. We also speak to investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill, who recently returned from assignment in Somalia.

AMY GOODMAN: We turn now to what’s been characterized as the worst humanitarian disaster in the world: the famine in Somalia and the Horn of Africa. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued an urgent appeal yesterday to respond to the crisis, where more than 11 million people are in need of life-saving assistance as they face the worst drought in decades. Secretary-General Ban said, quote, "The human cost of this crisis is catastrophic. We cannot afford to wait."

The extended drought is forcing an estimated 3,000 people a day from Somalia to neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, also issued an urgent appeal earlier this week.

ANTÓNIO GUTERRES: I have no doubt that Somalia is today the worst humanitarian disaster that we face in the world. Here in the outskirts of the Somali refugee camp of Dadaab, we have the poorest of the poor, the most vulnerable of the vulnerable in the world.

AMY GOODMAN: For more, we’re joined on the phone by Yves van Loo in Nairobi, Kenya, the spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Somalia. He was just in Mogadishu two weeks ago.

Yves, explain the scope of this catastrophe that is unfolding now in Somalia.

in full: http://www.democracynow.org/2011/7/13/famine_in_somalia_horn_of_africa

[tekisui]

1. knr.

Unfortunately, the US is more concerned with renditions and interrogations at secret prisons in Somalia.

[xchrom]

2. recommend

[bahrbearian]

3. Where the CIA goes disaster is right behind it.