Political Quotes

“I rise today to bring attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa. More than 11 million people--twice the population of my State of Maryland--are now in need of emergency assistance to survive. Large portions of the Horn of Africa region are now in the grip of one of the worst humanitarian crises in the region in recent decades. Nearly half of the population in Somalia is in urgent need of assistance, and malnutrition rates are on the rise in neighboring Ethiopia and Kenya. Without the immediate action of the international community, it is projected that an additional 180,000 people will perish in the coming months due to the drought and famine. It is difficult to fully comprehend the levels of human suffering currently occurring in the region, as refugees flee famine-affected areas. People are literally walking for days without food and water to try to reach food and safety. More than 166,000 desperate Somalis are estimated to have fled their country to neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia in recent months--approximately 3,500 people are arriving every day at refugee camps in those countries compounding the already tenuous humanitarian situation in the region. On July 21, the United Nations declared a famine in two regions in southern Somalia. This declaration is not done lightly and is the first declared since 1992. Famine is only declared when acute child malnutrition rates exceed 30 percent and more than 2 people per 10,000 die per day.…”