Times are hard in Ireland but the Irish know that they are even harder in places like the Horn of Africa, currently beset with political turmoil drought and famine.
Dóchas, (Hope) the umbrella organization for Ireland's overseas development organizations, has revealed that donations to relief efforts in the Horn of Africa region are being supported generously. Figures show that donations to Irish aid agencies are currently exceeding €7 million, the Irish Times reported. "
Over 12 million people are facing famine because of severe shortages of food and water in large parts of East Africa as the region is experiencing the worst drought for around 60 years. Fortunately, the suffering of the people of the Horn of Africa has not gone unnoticed in Ireland.
"Despite recent calls that charity begins - and supposedly ends - at home, the people of Ireland have once again shown tremendous generosity in the face of human suffering," said Hans Zomer, director of Dóchas.
"UN officials have described the drought in Somalia as the worst humanitarian crisis in the troubled country in two decades, and warned that this crisis is not going away soon.
"The relief needs in Somalia and other countries affected by the drought are enormous. We urge people to keep supporting aid agencies to provide vital assistance to the 12 million people affected, and to log onto www.HowYouCanHelp.ie to learn more about how Irish aid agencies respond to crises," said Zomer.
