UN collected only 21% of needed amount for fighting famine in Africa
The United Nations has received just 21 per cent of the money it needs to fight a four-pronged food crisis in Africa and the Middle East described as the worst humanitarian emergency since the Second World War.
Famine has already been declared in parts of South Sudan while Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen are set to follow. About 20 million lives are at risk and 1.4 million children are at "imminent risk of death" from severe malnutrition.
Almost two months ago the United Nations requested $4.4 billion from international donors, including Australia, to address the crisis. But so far it has received only $984 million, a fifth of the total.
Local aid agencies say the public response to their emergency appeals has also been subdued.
The Red Cross raised 30 times more money in the month following Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu in 2015 than has been donated for its East Africa Food Crisis Appeal in the same period.
Peter Walton, who directs the international work of the Australian Red Cross, said many still don't realise how serious the four-nation food crisis has become.
Source: smh.com.au
