Famine in the Horn Africa: step up emergency response, urge MEPs

Emergency aid should be rapidly scaled up to prevent any further worsening of humanitarian conditions in the Horn of Africa, say MEPs in a resolution passed on Thursday. Extra funds are needed to pay for food aid, healthcare, clean water and sanitation for 13 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea and Djibouti hit by conflict and the worst famine in 60 years.

Humanitarian aid organisations should have "unhindered access" to those in need and humanitarian corridors should be opened up so that food and aid can get deeper into the affected areas, says the resolution, noting that the government of Eritrea, for example, denies access to any humanitarian aid for its people.

Somalia - start reconciliation

MEPs strongly condemn the actions of the Islamist militant group al-Shabab in Somalia, the hardest-hit country, where this organisation obstructs the work of aid agencies. More than half of Somalia's population depends on food aid, with 1.4 million internally-displaced persons and more than 700,000 acutely malnourished children in South Somalia.

MEPs call on foreign policy High Representative Catherine Ashton "to critically assess the Djibouti Peace Process". They stress the need to involve all people affected by the conflict and stress the need to put in place a national reconciliation regime.

Donors urged to do more

Welcoming the commitments of the EU and its Member States, MEPs recall that the UN emergency appeal is still US$ 1 billion short of what is needed. Given the inadequacy of the funding available, MEPs appeal to the international community "to redouble its efforts to tackle this emergency, in order to meet the growing humanitarian needs and prevent a further deterioration of the situation"

So far, the EU has committed nearly €160 million in humanitarian relief to the region in 2011, in addition to €440 million from Member States and more than €680 million in long-term aid in the areas of agriculture, rural development and food security until 2013.

Invest in agriculture to boost food security

To ensure food security in the affected countries, MEPs call for more aid to be directed towards agricultural production and assistance to pastoralists. The international community should make long-term investments in agriculture, as the main source of food and income in the region, and in building sustainable infrastructure.

Equally important is for small farmers to be given access to land, so as to bolster the local market and provide acceptable everyday food for people in the Horn of Africa, adds the resolution.

The resolution was adopted by a show of hands.