EGI Statement on Horn of Africa Drought and Famine

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Somalis from southern Somalia carry their belongings
as they make their way to a new camp for internally
displaced people in Mogadishu Somalia, Saturday July
30, 2011. (AP / Farah Abdi Warsameh)

Cambridge, Mass., United States

Roughly 100 million people inhabit the Horn of Africa, consisting of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. It is a region that is unfortunately known for the seemingly endless problems of wars, droughts, famines and diseases.

The Ethiopian Global Initiative is deeply concerned by the current drought and famine situation plaguing millions of people in the Horn of Africa. We applaud the international community’s efforts to quickly respond to the regional malnutrition and starvation of the people. The effects of famine also include the spread of epidemics and the increase of mortality rates.

It is nothing short of a scandal for humans to suffer from famine in the 21st century. With the technological and economic advancements over the past decades, famines, regardless of location, should be a thing of the past. Food security and healthcare must be placed as a top priority for governments in the Horn of Africa and other developing states.

Read full statement here.