WASHINGTON – Chairing a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs Wednesday, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) called on the United States and the international community to intensify its response to the worst drought in Africa in more than 60 years.
“This is the most severe humanitarian crisis in a generation, affecting the food security of more than 12 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, and surrounding areas,” Senator Coons said. “According to UNICEF, an estimated 2.3 million children in the region are acutely malnourished, half a million of whom are at risk of imminent death and, unfortunately, the crisis is expected to worsen in coming months.”
To address the crisis, the United States has provided $459 million in food aid, treatment for malnourished children, health care and other assistance. The UN estimates that $2 billion of aid is needed to respond to the crisis in coming months, and only $1 billion has been committed.
“The responsibility cannot rest on our shoulders alone,” Senator Coons said. “Especially in a difficult budgetary environment, the humanitarian response to this crisis must be a shared international obligation. It is incumbent on the international community to join the United States in providing this critical aid in the near term in order to save lives, especially those of malnourished children and others in desperate need.”
The drought has led to famine in areas of Southern Somalia and a regional refugee crisis, largely due to lack of security, governance, and assistance in Somali areas under control of the al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, al-Shabaab. Aid organizations and U.S. officials estimate that more than 2,000 refugees are pouring into neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia each day. More than 180,000 Somalis have fled so far this year, putting tremendous strain on neighboring countries and refugee camps, which are already stretched beyond capacity.
In the hearing, Senator Coons urged U.S. government witnesses to clarify recent changes to legal restrictions on humanitarian organizations operating in Southern Somalia in order to facilitate the delivery of aid. He also urged countries in the Horn of Africa, in partnership with the United States and the international community, to take measures to better prepare and respond to future droughts in order to avoid another humanitarian crisis.
“While the failure of two consecutive rainy seasons contributed to the scale of the disaster,” Senator Coons said, “the humanitarian crisis and famine that resulted highlights broader capacity, governance, infrastructure, and security problems and needs. As the United States joins with partners in the international community to provide emergency assistance, we must also consider lessons learned in order to avert the next famine, improve food security globally, build sustainable capacity, and mitigate the impact of this crisis on future generations.”
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