Germany gives funds to relieve drought-hit Kenya, Sudanese refugees

Jan 19, 2006 (BERLIN) — The German government said Thursday it is giving A700,000, or about US$850,000, to relief efforts in drought-hit Kenya and has provided further funds to help refugees from Sudan.

Germany is helping aid organizations provide emergency food supplies for children as well as water and health projects in hard-hit regions of northern Kenya, the Foreign Ministry said. It said it was considering projects for Ethiopia and Djibouti.

An estimated 3.5 million people in Kenya, 1.75 million in Ethiopia, 1.4 million in Somalia and 60,000 in Djibouti are suffering from hunger in eastern Africa because of drought and mismanagement of resources.

The ministry said it gave A800,000 (US$970,000) to the U.N. children’s agency on Wednesday so that it can buy relief supplies and improve water and health provisions in refugee camps in the war-affected Darfur region of Sudan and in neighboring Chad.

Twelve refugee camps in the desert in eastern Chad currently shelter about 200,000 people, it said.

(ST/AP)