ReliefWeb

This report is produced by OCHA in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It was issued by OCHA Eastern Africa. It covers the period from 10 to 17 August. The next report will be issued on or around August 24.

I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES

• The Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) in Somalia reports that, of the 2.8 million people in need of immediate life saving assistance in southern Somalia, an estimated 450,000 are famine-affected.

• Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos visited Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia from 11-15 August on a mission aiming to improve response to the regional drought crisis.

• Kenya’s Minister of State for Special Programmes convened a Task Force on the distribution, planning, coordination and monitoring of food distribution following reports of misappropriation of food aid.

• Responding to media reports regarding theft of food aid in Mogadishu, WFP said it condemned any such act and would rigorously investigate any allegations of theft of humanitarian food. WFP added that it was confident that the vast majority of humanitarian food was reaching starving people in Mogadishu and saving lives every day.

• Child death rates in refugee camps in Ethiopia have reached “alarming” levels, according to UNHCR.