The Foreign Minsister, Murray McCully, has been criticised by aid agencies and opposition parties with claims of "unacceptable delays" in providing the money. McCully issued a statement on Friday afternoon saying that money has been allocated to four non-government organisations following a due diligence process.

Mr McCully promised $2 million six weeks ago for Somalia and neighbouring countries in the Horn of Africa. There is no word on the other $1 million.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has pledged NZ$50,000 towards the food and refugee crisis unfolding in the Horn of Africa, and is accepting donations from the public.

'We are working through partners on the ground in Kenya and Tanzania, and through other agencies from the international Caritas network,' says Director Michael Smith.

'This crisis represents a huge challenge for aid agencies and the international community,' he said. 'More than 10 million people in the Horn of Africa require emergency assistance due to prolonged drought conditions.'

Donations to Caritas can be made by phoning 0800 22 10 22 or donating online at www.caritas.org.nz.

Source

• Radio New Zealand
• Image: Vimeo.com

Brendan Gormley, chief execution of the British Disasters Emergency Committee said: "To raise NZ$80 million in just over three weeks is a wonderful demonstration of public concern for those in need."

"We can't lose sight of the fact however, that this is an escalating crisis."

The UN's food arm, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said the famine is likely to spread across all regions of Somalia's south in the next four to six weeks, with famine conditions likely to last until December.

Despite the peoples' generosity the UN says the response so far has not been at a level required to match the humanitarian need.

"The current humanitarian response remains inadequate, due in part to ongoing access restrictions and difficulties in scaling‐up emergency assistance programmes, as well as funding gaps," said the UN's famine early warning system network. As a result, famine is expected to spread across all regions of the south in the coming four to six weeks and is likely to persist until at least December 2011. Continued efforts to implement an immediate, large scale, and comprehensive response are needed."

The UN assessment is that NZ$3 billion is needed and so far the world has not yet raised half of that amount.

Islamist insurgents who have refused access to western relief agencies have not helped the situation.

The drought and famine which has affected more than 11.8 million people has Pope Benedict repeating his calls for the world to not forget the Somali people.

Spreaking from his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo where he has been paying great attention to horror of the Somali peope, the Pope invited the faithful "to think of the many brothers and sisters who in these days in the Horn of Africa, are suffering the dramatic consequences of famine, aggravated by war and the absence of solid institutions."

Women and daughters are in particular need of institutional help.

Kenyan refugee camps built to house 90,000 people are overcrowded and cannot cope with the 1,400 refugees arriving each day and as a result the UN is reporting a 420% increase in reported rape of women and girls.

Many more rapes go unreported.

Sources

• The Telegraph
• Belfast Telegraph
• The Guardian
• Voice of America
• Image: Washington Post

Benedict is urging the international community to deliver urgent humanitarian aid to the drought-stricken area.

"Innumerable people are fleeing from that tremendous famine in search of food and assistance. I hope the international community will increase its efforts to send aid quickly to our sorely tested brothers and sisters, among them many children," the pope said.

"Our solidarity and the concrete assistance of all people of good will should not be lacking," he said.

The Guardian reports that victims of war and drought are at the mercy of bandits as they trek miles across the desert to seek UN help, then corrupt officials demand starving families pay for food.

"It has been a terrible experience. There were eight of us and we had to survive on just a few kilos of flour for five days. Hunger and thirst haunted us during the whole journey," Sarura Ali said.

"The heat was unbearable so we were forced to walk at night. Every step we took was in the dark fearfully."

Over 10 million people, half of whom are children, face starvation in the worst drought in 60 years. The situation is exacerbated by conflict, rising food prices and plummetting livestock values.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has raised $50,000 in just over a week and is working as part of a coordinated Caritas response across Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Kenya.

UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon said the UN has targeted US$1.6b to pay for life-saving programs in the region, but as of 17 July the UN has reached only half the amount.

Sources

• The Guardain
• CathNews NZ
• Catholic Standard
• Image: London Evening Post