Germany provides large assistance for the drought victims living in the Horn of Africa

The worst drought in 60 years has left around 11 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Uganda in need of humanitarian aid. This number is rising every day. The German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development made another 15 million euros available to help the people affected by the drought in the Horn of Africa. This will bring the overall amount being provided by the German Government from over 15 million euros to more than 30 million euros.
The persistent drought in the Horn of Africa has exacerbated the existing humanitarian emergency in the region. In Somalia in particular, people are suffering under the drought and under the consequences of decades of conflict. But the disastrous drought is also taking its toll on Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. "We are currently making an effort to mobilise everyone who can provide quick and efficient help. The desperate situation in which the people in the Horn of Africa find themselves must be eased quickly so that as many lives as possible can be saved", said Development Minister Dirk Niebel.
The cause of the drought is lack of rain, but also structural development deficits. Disasters of this dimension can be prevented by targeted efforts to strengthen agricultural sectors. Minister Niebel stressed that the need for agricultural support in the affected countries must not be forgotten over the short-term measures to alleviate the current emergency. "We have launched some large-scale agricultural programmes in the region, which will run for several years."
In addition to the direct German pledge, the EU Commission also announced that it intended to raise funding for the region by a further 60 million euros. This means that total funding from the European budget will be around 160 million euros. With a contribution of around 32 million euros, Germany's share of this amount will be about 20 per cent.
For several years, the German Federal Foreign Office has been providing humanitarian assistance on an ongoing basis in those regions of the Horn of Africa affected. In early 2011, relief for the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, as well as measures to provide drinking water and hygiene articles in Somalia were funded to the tune of around 3 million euro.