NAIROBI (XINHUA) – Humanitarian agencies on Friday jointly appealed for USD39.5 million to scale up humanitarian assistance in Eastern Africa as the worst drought in 40 years looms.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), the Kenya Red Cross, Ethiopia Red Cross and Somali Red Crescent said the funds will allow its volunteers and staff to assist 1.56 million people by scaling up their emergency and recovery activities and tackling the root causes of food insecurity.
IFRC Secretary-General Jagan Chapagain who ended a three-day visit to Kenya called for a massive scale-up of humanitarian and long-term assistance to communities affected by the growing hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.
“The situation is rapidly deteriorating. We need immediate humanitarian assistance to reach the most vulnerable. We also need long-term solutions that address the impact of climate change including investment in resilient livelihoods,” Chapagain said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
