Despite the driest year in the Eastern Horn of Africa in more than 15 years, and the threat to the livelihoods of millions in the region, funding for relief efforts is barely over 50 percent of announced needs, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday. According to an OCHA report, “2011 is the driest period in the Eastern Horn of Africa since 1995 [and] drought remains a major threat with no likelihood of improvement until early 2012.” OCHA said the number of people “in acute livelihood crisis,” which the agency estimates at about 8.8 million at present, is expected to increase in the coming months, and overall food security conditions will continue to deteriorate. “Against the approximately $1.293 billion in humanitarian requirements identified by the governments and humanitarian country teams in Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, some $671 million in contributions has been recorded to date, meaning emergency appeals throughout the region are funded at 51 percent,” OCHA said. The agency said funding gaps have been reported in all major sectors, including nutrition, water and sanitation, and livelihoods. BM/UN
