Ireland 'at the forefront of tackling Africa’s problems'

Ireland is at the forefront of the international response to the food crisis in the Horn of Africa according to junior foreign minister Conor Lenihan.

The United Nations and aid agencies have warned that 11 million people are at risk of starvation in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Somalia.

The crisis has been blamed on a succession of poor harvests, ongoing drought because of the poor rain seasons and lawlessness.

The break down in law and order has displaced millions of families.

Minister of State for Development, Cooperation and Human Rights Conor Lenihan has stated that Ireland has allocated €41.5m to the United Nations and other agencies in recent weeks to help stem the crisis.

"Ireland is at the forefront of international efforts to both respond swiftly to humanitarian needs, but also to find lasting solutions to these types of crises, particularly in Africa," said the minister.