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July 18, 2011

First Emergency U.N. Aid to Somalia Drought Victims Arrives in Kenya 
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The first U.N. emergency airlift flight arrived in the Kenyan capital of
Nairobi Sunday to assist the hundreds of thousands of Somalis who have
fled the devastating drought and famine afflicting their homeland. The
Horn of Africa is facing what is being called one of the largest
humanitarian crises in 50 years. In Ethiopia, emergency refugee camps
that opened just weeks ago are already at capacity. One Somali refugee
named Safiala arrived a camp in Ethiopia a week ago with seven children.
It took them days to reach the camp. On the way tragedy struck.

Safiala Abdullahi, Somali refugee: “I became sick on the way and
therefore the child had nothing to eat because I had no breast milk so
he died of hunger and dehydration. We called on passers-by to helped us
dig a grave. We buried the child and left.”

Antonio Guterres is the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Antonio Guterres, High Commissioner for Refugees: “Our heart is broken
when mothers tell us that after having walked for days to reach safely
they have lost their children on the way. To see children dying and
doctors not being able to address the situation, because it is too late
and to see that we have a lot to do together.”



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