Horn of Africa nations need aid now

Addis Abbba, May 13 (Prensa Latina) Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya of the African Horn need urgent aid in food due to the extreme drought, internal conflict and impact of the world economic crisis, the UN reported.

The deputy secretary of the United Nations for Humanitarian Affairs, John Holmes, specified that in Ethiopia alone 12 million persons need food from international organizations due to the extreme drought.

Somalia that is going through a hard battle with opposition groups and troops allied to the new transition president. It has suffered the consequences of intermittent fighting since 1991, worsened by acts of piracy along its coast and the world economic crisis.

In Kenya 10 million persons suffer food insecurity and a scarcity of cereals is predicted for the coming months that will affect Kenyans and hundreds of thousands of refugees from Ethiopia and Somalia.

The reduction of remittances worsens the situation of families in that African region as a result of the capitalist crisis.

According to the UN these remittances fell 40 percent while tourism, a strong source of income for the country, fell 30 percent during the last few months.