Humanitarian Aid

Drought + War = Famine

Because the rains have held off, the Horn of Africa is suffering from extreme drought. This, in addition to the war in Somalia, has given rise to the worst famine in the past 60 years. The UN estimates that €2.5 billion is necessary to address the most pressing needs. Somalia and Ethiopia have been affected by the famine the hardest. The refugee camps in the region are seeing an unexpectedly high amount of people arriving. 

Dadaab, the world's largest refugee camp

Since 1 January 2011, 150,000 Somalians have already fled into Dadaab (north-eastern Kenya), which has made the camp swell up to 450,000 refugees. Until the safety situation in Somalia is not improved, these people cannot return to their country. That is perhaps the most tragic: many will stay in the camps for their entire lives, which will make them permanent refugees, forcing them to be structurally dependent upon humanitarian aid. Dadaab has grown into the world's largest refugee camp and the third largest ‘city’ in Kenya.

Minister Chastel’s visit

Minister for Development Cooperation Olivier Chastel visited, together with the Belgian Ambassador in Nairobi, journalists and representatives from the Consortium for Emergency Relief 1212, the refugee camp in Dadaab on 12 September. The Minister gauged the needs of the refugees by visiting the activities run by the relief organisations (UNHCR, WFP, Oxfam, CARE, UNICEF, Handicap International, etc.): the registration of refugees, a medical examination, the distribution of food and the construction of a new tent camp. 

The 1212 consortium

1212, or the Belgian Consortium for Emergency Relief 1212, groups together 5 relief organisations that collectively gather funds to be used in disasters: Caritas Internationalis, Oxfam Solidariteit, Handicap International, Dokters van de Wereld and UNICEF Belgium. Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross are not involved. All of these relief organisations develop emergency relief activities in the Horn of Africa.
www.1212.be 

Belgian aid

Belgian Development Cooperation has already freed up €12 million for humanitarian aid in the Horn of Africa. This has been done in several instalments and is intended for various relief organisations. Of this €12 million, Minister Chastel allocated the last €3 million after his visit to the refugee camp in Dadaab.

The Belgian people are also showing their immediate solidarity with those affected. Belgians have already donated €9.7 million to the Horn of Africa via the 1212 consortium.