KENYA: Kenya hosts summit on Horn of Africa drought

Record ID: 361354

  • Title: KENYA: Kenya hosts summit on Horn of Africa drought
  • Date: 9th September 2011
  • Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (SEPTEMBER 08, 2011) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF THE SUMMIT ON HORN OF AFRICA CRISIS VARIOUS OF DELEGATES AT THE SUMMIT BANNER READING 'SUMMIT ON HORN OF AFRICA CRISIS' (SOUNDBITE) (English) KENYA'S FOREIGN MINISTER, MOSES WETANGULA, SAYING: "In the view of largely economic nature of the causes of the current exodus of Somali refugees into Kenya, we urge
  • Embargoed: 24th September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya, Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Disasters,Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVA2L268MFV9RNSHBAOZHG8ZAK30
  • Story Text: Kenya is hosting a regional summit in Nairobi to address the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa that has been caused by the worst drought in the region that the UN says its the worst in 60 years.
    Somalia, which is the most affected in the region, is beset by a devastating drought, famine and civil war in which thousands of people have already died and four million others, about one third of the total population, are thought to be on the brink of starvation.
    Addressing delegates at the opening of the summit, Kenya's Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula urged the International community to set up mechanisms in which help for the needy Somalis could be delivered in secured areas in Somalia.
    The combination of drought, famine and civil war have caused an influx of Somali refugees into Kenya's Dabaab complex, making it the largest refugee camp in the world with a population of over 400 thousands.
    "In the view of largely economic nature of the causes of the current exodus of Somali refugees into Kenya, we urge the international community to enhance its stabilization and humanitarian support to the Somalia government and people by opening operating, feeding and medical centres within deliberated or stable areas in Somalia itself," Kenya's Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said while addressing delegates.
    The summit convened by the government of Kenya in conjunction with the United Nations, World Bank and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) is expected to run through Friday (September 9) and will end with a Heads of State session.
    The regional leaders are expected to focus and deliberate on both immediate as well as long term solutions to drought such as turning the vast dry lands in the Horn of Africa into productive lands.
    "The proposed Nairobi action plan which will come out of your meeting today and be taken to the summit tomorrow, will therefore elaborate the main elements of the programs that the countries in the horn of Africa region will desire to implement in the medium and the long-term," added Wetangula The United Nations recently declared famine in another region of southern Somalia and warned that this could spread further within two months in the war-ravaged Horn of Africa country unless donors step in.
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