Appeal Raises £72m As Food Crisis Worsens

The Disasters Emergency Committee says its appeal for areas of East Africa affected by drought has raised £72m - but a crisis situation remains because of ongoing famine.

The money raised is the third highest amount in The Disasters Emergency Committee charity's 45-year history - only the Asian tsunami (£392m) and the Haiti earthquake (£107m) raised more.

DEC chief executive Brendan Gormley said: "The incredibly generous support of the UK public for the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal has made the difference between life and death for many people in the region.

"The situation remains grave however particularly in those areas of Somalia where access for most aid agencies remains severely restricted.

"We must also confront the hard truth that the worst of this crisis could have been averted. After the 1984-85 famine in Ethiopia, systems were put in place to warn the world should famine ever threaten the region again.

"Those systems have worked extremely effectively. Since late 2010 they have provided abundant evidence of a crisis in the making and ample early warning that urgent action was required.

"It was not the warning systems that have been found wanting but the ability of world leaders to support and resource regional governments, the UN and aid agencies to ensure there was early and effective action, particularly in war-torn Somalia.

"All of us should examine the roles we have played and consider what we must do to ensure that the next time the alarm is raised our immediate response is not found wanting."

Some affected areas of Kenya and Ethiopia are beginning to see the first signs of improvement.

Increasing amounts of aid are getting through, harvests are being reaped in many areas and rains are making more pasture available for surviving livestock.

Many people in these areas will still need ongoing emergency support in the short term.

Good rains and longer-term aid will be needed in the coming years to enable them to rebuild their livelihoods.

The current rains also bring their own problems, including speeding the spread of cholera which is already a major concern, particularly in Somalia.

However, the DEC said today, which is World Food Day, that many of those in greatest need were still not being reached by the aid effort, particularly in Somalia.

A shortage of funds from some non-UK sources was one issue but the main challenges were insecurity and limits on access faced by many agencies to the worst affected areas of Somalia.

The UK's international development secretary Andrew Mitchell said: "It's going to get worse before it gets better.

"We've got to do everything we can to make sure this doesn't happen again in the future, as well as helping those who are at great risk today in the Horn of Africa."

:: Click here for more information on the DEC appeal