World Must Fund Famine-Wreaked African Countries to Prevent Generation Dying

The devastation brought by drought, high grain price, and political uncertainties in the countries in the Horn of Africa has motivated African leaders to hold a fundraising conference hosted by the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last August 25, 2011. AU collaborated with the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme.

Tens of thousands of people have already died and 3.2 million are on the brink of starvation, said the news release.

"The future of an entire generation hangs in the balance," said UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro. "If we do not respond, the consequences will reverberate for years. We will be asked how we stood by and watched a generation die, how we allowed a crisis to become a catastrophe, when we could have stopped it," she added.

The Food and Agriculture's "Road Map for Recovery" has outlined a package designed to restore livelihood and build the resilience of the populations at a cost of $161 million. However, only $57.3 million had been paid up or in the pipeline. It is thus imperative to continue the call for fund support and fulfill monetary pledges. A statement prepared by the AU for the Addis Ababa meeting affirm that, "We have the know-how, including frameworks, institutions, technology and human capacities to eradicate famine from the Horn of Africa, but we lack predictable resource flows to achieve that outcome."

Details on this news can be viewed at http://allafrica.com/stories/201108251071.html