Speaking at an event on the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Horn of Africa at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Ford announced the new support to enable the UN and our NGO partners to continue lifesaving assistance through cash support; access to water and sanitation services; and the delivery of highly specialized health and nutrition treatment.

The UK has allocated a total of £156 million in humanitarian support for crises in East Africa this financial year.

Drought in the Horn of Africa is one of the world´s worst humanitarian crises. Nearly half of Somalia’s population is in dire need of aid – with 300,000 people forecast to be in famine by October if assistance is not provided immediately.

According to the text, Ford also called on the international community to act immediately to avoid a similar disaster that popped up in 2011, where an estimated quarter of a million people died as a result of drought. pll/ro/nm