The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday that it has launched an appeal to raise US$759 million to help 16.6 million people in 2023. Among the beneficiaries of this aid are 12.2 million children in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.
UNICEF declared that they will direct $137.5 million of the amount to Kenya in a statement issued in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
The communities in affected areas will receive climate resilience support using the rest of the amount in 2023 and 2024. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell visited north-eastern Kenya before making the statement.
Ms. Russell met on Tuesday with families and refugees who have been affected by the worst drought in the region.
To help these communities recover from the crisis, Ms. Russell called on the international community to show commitment.
The UNICEF Executive Director recalled that children suffering from famine need to be in school.
According to UNICEF, the drought that has hit the Horn of Africa over the past three years has caused a lot of damage. Families have lost their livestock, crops, and livelihoods.
In addition, the drought is putting the lives of more than 1.5 million children at risk due to severe acute malnutrition.