Washington, DC – Senator John Kerry (D-MA), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, today issued a joint statement urging the administration to expand and expedite the delivery of humanitarian aid into Somalia, where famine has officially been declared in five regions:
“In the Horn of Africa today, over 12 million people are in desperate need of food and water amidst the worst drought in three generations. In Somalia alone, approximately 3.2 million people are in need of immediate life-saving assistance, half a million children are acutely malnourished, and more than 29,000 children under the age of 5 have tragically died. The drought has blasted an already hostile landscape, but the actions of the terrorist group al-Shabaab and the shortcomings of the Somali government have turned a natural disaster into a human catastrophe.
“We welcome today’s statement from the White House announcing the President’s approval of an additional $105 million for humanitarian relief efforts in the region, as well as the administration’s recent steps to facilitate greater delivery of assistance to previously inaccessible regions of southern Somalia. Just last week, the Treasury and State Departments announced that humanitarian groups which partner with the U.S. government will be granted greater flexibility to provide aid - even in areas under al-Shabaab control. This commendable decision will make it easier to respond to an increasingly dire and complex situation and will ultimately help save lives.
“At the same time, we encourage the administration to consider additional ways to ease and expedite the provision of aid. Specifically, it should explore expanding the pool of those licensed to provide assistance in southern Somalia to include U.S. humanitarian groups funded by private donors or other countries. While it is absolutely imperative to restrict the flow of resources to al-Shabaab, we must draw on all available resources as we balance security concerns with pressing humanitarian needs.
“The international community must step up and tackle this crisis with the same level of commitment that it has demonstrated in the past; right now, donations are far below those for previous disasters. We must mobilize with all deliberate speed. Too many lives are on the line, and the people of Somalia and throughout the Horn of Africa cannot afford to wait.”