UNDP / HORN OF AFRICA

Expressing concern about the humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa, UNDP Administrator Helen Clark said "this is a life and death issue for many families right now." UNDP / FILE

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:19
• Production Date: 11 July 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME - UNDP
• Subject Topical: HUMANITARIAN RELIEF; REFUGEES; DISPLACED PERSONS; DISASTER PREVENTION; DISASTER PREPAREDNESS; DISASTER RELIEF
• Geographic Subject: SOMALIA
• MAMS Id: U110711f

Description

STORY: UNDP / HORN OF AFRICA
TRT: 1.19
SOURCE: UNDP / UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 11 July 2011, New York

Shotlist

1. Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator working in her office
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator saying:
“The biggest concern right now is that people are dying because of the drought, particularly those who are having to leave their land and homes and walk long distances in a weakened condition to try to find food and water. Some are crossing borders out of Somalia. So this is a life and death issue for many families right now.”
3. Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator working in her office
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator saying:
“At UNDP, we are working with a range of other UN agencies and UN team in the countries affected. What we would love is to really scale them up from helping tens and hundreds to helping thousands and thousands of people. We’re absolutely confident that there can be drought resistant agriculture in smallholder farming in this areas but it needs a lot of development support.”

FILE / UNHCR / 7 JULY 2011, Dolla Ado Camp, Ethiopia

5. Wide shot, people walking in the camp
6. Various shots, family having a meal
7. Tracking shot, man walking in camp
8. Wide shot, family sitting in hut

Storyline

Around ten million people in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Uganda are in need of humanitarian assistance as they’re suffering from the effects of the worst drought in 60 years.

“The biggest concern right now is that people are dying because of the drought,” said Helen Clark, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator. “Particularly those who are having to leave their land and homes and walk long distances in a weakened condition to try to find food and water.”

Somalia is worst hit in the drought. It’s estimated that one quarter of Somalia's 7.5 million people are now either internally displaced or have trekked to neighbouring Ethiopia or Kenya where they are living as refugees.

“We need to scale up from helping tens and hundreds to helping thousands and thousands of people,” added Clark. “We’re absolutely confident that there can be drought resistant agriculture in smallholder farming in this areas but it needs a lot of development support.”

The UN is focusing on scaling up relief delivery in the regions affected by the drought, on improving security there to so that the affected areas are accessible to aid workers and on mobilizing the funds and resources necessary to meet urgent needs of the people suffering from the drought.