EU to send $68m to drought-stricken east Africa region

NAN-F-24

Drought

Brussels, July 7, 2017 (dpa/NAN) The European Union will be sending an additional 60 million euros (68 million dollars) to countries in the Horn of Africa region that have been affected by drought.

According to the European Commission, the fund will help the people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, where a severe drought has led to critical levels of food insecurity, with millions of people struggling to find enough to eat.

The assistance brings the EU’s total commitment to the region to almost 260 million euros since the beginning of the year.

“The situation in eastern part of Africa has drastically deteriorated in 2017 and it keeps getting worse.

“The risk of famine is real,” Christos Stylianides, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid said.

He said most of the funding 40 million euros will go  to Somalia.

The commissioner said that Ethiopia will receive 15 million euros while Kenya will receive five million euros.

The emergency funding announced by Brussels comes as world leaders are gathered for a Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

Many hope that G20 leaders will make concrete pledges to help African countries affected by food insecurity. (dpa/NAN)

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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Sadiya Hamza