US president calls for "international response" to famine in Horn of Africa, as Somalia appeals for more drought relief.
Last Modified: 30 Jul 2011 11:25
An appeal for more famine relief by Somalia's president has been echoed by US President Barack Obama who has called for an "international response" to the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa.
President Sharif Sheik Ahmed said on Friday that Somalia can no longer feed the overwhelming number of its people suffering from famine brought on by the worst regional drought in nearly 60 years.
Ahmed said his government has created several refugee camps, but that Somalia needs urgent support to reach the level of aid that is needed.
A Somali government spokesman went further, saying the famine response from aid agencies "is too slow'' and that the crisis is even more severe than the UN has said. He noted that diseases are spreading through the camps, including measles.
"The current famine situation in Somalia actually demands urgency, not only assessments and far-off responses, because many Somali children are dying in the county on a daily basis for lack of help," said Abdirahman Omar Osman.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/07/201173053239801969.htmlMore here: House panel approves $47.2 billion foreign aid bill, slashes money for State Department
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress/house-panel-approves-472-billion-foreign-aid-bill-slashes-money-for-state-department/2011/07/27/gIQADXzFdI_story.html