Situation in Horn of Africa set to get worse for millions of children

UNICEF has called for an immediate expansion of assistance across the Horn of Africa's drought affected communities, to address the dire needs of more than two million children, of whom half a million are at imminent risk of dying.With no improvement in the overall food security conditions expected before early 2012 the already severe nutrition situation will likely worsen further.

In a joint news conference UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake and UK International Development Secretary, Andrew Mitchell said the situation was conditions were very dire on the ground.

"What we have seen in the way of shortages in the food pipeline in a number of this areas; this is leading to real suffering. All of these people live on the edge on any case and this is perfect storm is tipping them over into acute and severe needs," said Anthony Lake at the end of a four-day mission to Kenya.

During a field mission to the arid region of Turkana in northern Kenya, Lake and Mitchell saw the silent face of the crisis, they met with pastoralists whose livestock had been decimated by the consequences of a ten-year drought.

"Britain has announced two packages, the first announced some 10 days ago to help 1.3 million people in Ethiopia who are in danger of starvation also to help 330,000 children under the age of five and mothers who are suffering from acute malnutrition and yesterday I announced additional assistance which will be as follows; for 500,000 people in Somalia in terms of food, water and healthcare including treatment for nearly 70,000 acutely malnourished children," said Mitchell

Malnutrition rates in some parts of Turkana have skyrocketed to 37 per cent and this is a situation that has been replicated in other communities across the semi-arid and arid areas of Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Somalia.

Mitchell called on donors to give more assistance to help alleviate the situation in the region.

"This support is being given not through any strategic interest but because we believe it is the right thing to do. Britain is coming to the help of people in desperate need in a bid to ensure that what is already a disaster of very significant proportions does not a catastrophe," added Mitchell

Across the region, nearly 11 million people are at risk. Thousands of women and children are fleeing central and southern Somalia every day. The crisis, however, extends well beyond the daily flow of refugees into Kenya and Ethiopia: it is also affecting millions of subsistence farmers and pastoralists in these two countries who are dependent on the rains for their survival.