Sinn Féin Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Defence, John Brady TD, has added his voice to calls from the UN for urgent aid for Somalia as millions face malnutrition and hunger, amidst a devastating drought across the Horn of Africa.

Teachta Brady said:

“There are currently over a million and a half children who will be left to face severe and acute malnutrition within weeks if action is not taken by the international community. We already have a situation where there are well in excess of two hundred thousand Somalis currently experiencing famine-like conditions.

“In the words of the UN – ‘the clock is ticking, and time is running out…’ for the people of the Horn of Africa, and Somalia in particular.

“Failure to act now will inevitably lead to catastrophic consequences for the whole of the Horn of Africa. Which has experienced four straight years of devastating drought, with all the indicators suggesting that we are heading into a fifth year.

“The region is tethering on the brink of reaching what constitutes the technical definition of famine, which is really a matter of semantics, as the reality is that one person is dying every 48 seconds. With children in particular suffering horrifically. Millions of livestock have also perished leaving the eventual route to recovery for the region even more difficult. We need to see action now.

“I am calling on the Irish government to use its voice, to use its position on the UN Security Council, and the EU to force the international community to address the tragedy which is unfolding in the Horn of Africa.”