Bill Nelson: “from my letter, which will be in the Record, you will see the similarity to what we have here today. Just in Eritrea…”

“from my letter, which will be in the Record, you will see the similarity to what we have here today. Just in Eritrea, crop failures and the lack of rainfall put about 1.5 million at risk--just less than half the population. But these grotesque figures only speak to those in the Horn of Africa. For example, down in Zimbabwe, 49 percent of the population is in need; in Malawi, approximately 29 percent of the population is in need; in Zambia, approximately 26 percent of the population; and in Lesotho, approximately 30 percent of the population. These are just some of the countries whose populations need food right now. The World Food Programme estimates that a total of over 38 million people are at risk of starvation throughout Africa this year. This figure is almost beyond comprehension, and compels this body to provide relief. The toll of this famine threatens to be far worse than anything we have seen previously for another reason. The terrible epidemic of HIV/ AIDS, which is currently ravaging the continent, destroys the immune systems of its victims. When further weakened by malnutrition, they are unable to fight off even the most mild illnesses. If we do not act, the death toll will rise, and it will rise quickly. There is also a security aspect to providing this relief. It is well- known that the Horn of Africa has had its problems with extremism, particularly in nearby Sudan.”