Trócaire's plea over famine threat

Aid agency Trócaire today called on the international community to help millions of people at risk of starvation in east Africa.

Launching an emergency response committing €750,000 to combat the food crisis, Trócaire officials warned it could turn into a full-scale famine – the worst for more than a decade.

Some 11 million people in the Horn of Africa – Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti – are at risk.

Rosemary Heenan of Trócaire’s east Africa regional office said Somalia was one of the worst-hit areas.

“The situation here in Somalia is extremely grave and immediate action is required to prevent a full-scale famine,” she warned

“This is as bad as things have been here for at least 10 years. We will be concentrating our efforts on trying to contain the situation. The international community should also work on a coherent response.”

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation around 11 million people are on the brink of starvation following severe drought, crop failure and the loss of livestock, which has been triggered by poor rainy seasons in the last year.

Trócaire said it had significantly increased its work in the area. The charity said rains in Somalia were 20% below average.

Trócaire workers have begun school feeding programmes in the Gedo region of southern Somalia for thousands of youngsters, while hundreds are receiving therapeutic treatment in hospital for malnutrition.

But the charity warned political instability was adding to the crisis.

In Kenya, poor rains in the north and east for three rainy seasons in a row has worsened food shortages.President Mwai Kibaki has declared a state of national disaster and appealed to the international community for food aid.