• Tuesday, July 12, 2011
• Inter Press Service

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is alarmed about the situation in the Horn of Africa, where a 'devastating drought' has forced people to abandon their houses and become refugees, the Under-Secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, told reporters Monday, following a visit to Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Ethiopia faces the hardest situation, with 4,6 million people requiring immediate assistance. In Somalia, 3.0 million people have been displaced because of the drought, and approximately 1,700 have been moving to Ethiopia, Amos said.

Appealing for both immediate and long-term actions by the international community, she said even if the country is 'on the fast track for development', a big proportion of the population is still vulnerable to disasters. She also asked for the ratification of the Kampala Convention that provides a framework for assistance to internally displaced persons.

OCHA’s chief recognised the important role of Nigeria in Africa, and assured that the situation in that country will be followed very closely to prevent it to become a humanitarian crisis.

Amos also expressed disappointment over the recent rejection of a proposal for the creation of a new refugee camp in Kenya. She declared her concern over the lack of protection for civilians in South Kordofan and restrictions on the movements of humanitarian workers to conflict regions.

© Inter Press Service (2011) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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