Aid Groups Support UN’s $7B Appeal for Horn of Africa Food Crisis

Humanitarian organizations are urging for the full funding of the United Nations’ $7bn appeal for the Horn of Africa during a pledging conference that begins on Wednesday. The region is facing the worst drought in 40 years, with more than 43.3 million people in need of assistance in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. The UN is convening a high-level pledging event on Wednesday at its headquarters in New York, where member states and partners will be encouraged to commit financial support to the Horn of Africa crisis. The International Rescue Committee said that until now, the appeals have received less than a quarter of the needed donations. Other humanitarian organizations say time is running out as affected communities have gone for months with little or no food. Persistent conflicts in some of the affected areas, combined with climate change effects, have exacerbated the crisis.