Horn Of Africa: “5 Million Driven Into Hunger” | World Food Programme

The number of hungry people in the Horn of Africa is growing and WFP aims to assist 5.2 million people as drought, rising food and fuel prices and conflict take their toll, said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran in a statement released on Saturday.

The number of hungry people in the Horn of Africa is growing and WFP aims to assist 5.2 million people as drought, rising food and fuel prices and conflict take their toll. More and more people need help in the Horn and we’re now on high alert over the impact of the March to May long rains.

The drought began with the failure of the October to December short rains last year in eastern parts of the Horn of Africa, pushing an additional 1.4 million people into hunger. The number in need of assistance may increase further if the current long rains – from March to May – are poor.

I am very pleased that in areas of abundance in the region farmers are selling their produce to WFP so that it can be used to help the poorest in drought-stricken areas. In 2010, WFP bought food worth a total of US$139 million in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.