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UN provides
$600,000 to help feed conflict-affected in Somali region |
14 January
2008 –The United Nations Central Emergency
Response Fund (CERF) has allocated nearly
$600,000 to provide Ethiopians in the
country’s strife-torn Somali region with
food aid.
The funds will be used by the UN World Food
Programme (WFP) to help Ethiopian
authorities deliver WFP food to the Somali
region, where conflict between Government
forces and the Ogaden National Liberation
Front has intensified this year.
To date, WFP has provided almost 17,000
metric tons of food for the five zones under
military operations, though it notes that a
shortage of military escorts continues to
hamper timely deliveries.
According to the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),
the humanitarian situation in the region has
been compounded by poor rains and the
decreasing availability of pasture and
water, while food prices are being pushed up
by restrictions on the cross-border movement
of goods.
Last month, Under-Secretary-General for
Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes noted that
fears are growing that up to 4.5 million
people could soon face famine-like
conditions in the region.
“There are strong reasons to believe such a
catastrophe could occur in the next few
months if all the necessary action to avert
it is not taken,” Mr. Holmes said, following
a visit to the area. He added that
insecurity and Government restrictions are
making it difficult for aid workers to even
reach those in need.”
In a related development, the UN World
Health Organization (WHO) is helping the
Ethiopian Government develop a preparedness
and response plan amid fears of a
large-scale meningitis outbreak next month.
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