Statement from CARE on Today's U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Africa Subcommittee Hearing on Responding to Drought and Famine in the Horn of Africa

Wouter Schaap, assistant country director from CARE International Somalia, testified as part of the non-governmental organization panel at the hearing this morning, along with representatives from Mercy Corps and the Atlantic Council. In addition to providing the senators with a firsthand perspective of the crisis in the Horn of Africa, including obstacles humanitarian agencies are facing in delivering aid and CARE's emergency response thus far, Schaap presented a number of recommendations to the committee.

"Given the gravity of the situation CARE suggests a number of recommendations to be implemented urgently.

"First, the U.S. government must expand and speed up funding for the crisis in the Horn not only to match the needs, but also to match the urgency of the response. The crisis is happening now, and we need to ensure that funding is available for spending within the next few weeks – not in several months down the line. Hence we need urgent support from donor agencies within the U.S. government to reduce the lead-time for funding and reduce the turnaround time on proposals. The U.N. says $2.5 billion is needed for the humanitarian response, $1.4 billion more than what has been committed so far.

"Second, while efforts to date by the USG [United States government] to ease legal restrictions applicable to U.S. government-funded work in areas controlled by al-Shabaab are commendable, we implore the USG to extend the relaxation of these restrictions to all possible funding sources available to U.S.-based organizations.

"Finally, we must invest in the long-term resiliency and livelihood protections of the region. While we must address the immediate humanitarian crisis at hand in the Horn of Africa, we should also take a long-term approach to addressing the underlying cause of hunger and mitigate future impacts of disasters.  Investments in programs that support livelihoods and resiliency of at-risk populations are critical to both saving lives and saving money, by reducing the far more expensive response necessary to address future crisis." 

Media Contact:
Schaap is also available immediately to speak with the media. To set up an interview, contact Niki Clark, policy media relations officer, at nclark@care.org or 202-595-2830.

About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE's community-based efforts to improve education, health and economic opportunity. To learn more, visit www.care.org.