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July 26, 2011

U.N. Prepares to Airlift Food to Drought-Stricken Horn of Africa 
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The U.N. World Food Program is set to start airlifting food today to
drought-stricken Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, where more than 12 million
people are at risk of starvation. The decision was made at an emergency
U.N. meeting in Rome on Monday. Josette Sheeran is the executive
director of the World Food Program.

Josette Sheeran, U.N. World Food Program: "We have a triple threat to
about 2.2 million people, which is the combination of an epic drought
that gets deeper and deeper for an already weakened population, combined
with soaring food prices. There is not enough food in the area. That's
what a drought is about. It's that you don't have a normal harvest, and
then combined with conflict and inaccessibility. And this creating a
vulnerability that is extremely urgent and requires global, regional and
local action — and extraordinary efforts by all of us — to find
creative, innovative ways and commitment to reach those who have not
been able to be reached so far."

During a trip to Kenya, European Union Humanitarian Aid Chief Kristalina
Georgieva said it was time for the international community to realize
the scale of the disaster.

Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International
Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response: "What we are facing
is a world where disasters are more frequent and more intense and with
climate change and population growth this is going to be even more
painful in the future. We have do everything we can to adjust to this
changing world and to help communities especially poor communities to
adjust and that means that we have to change the mindset of development,
so we think of development from a sustainability point of view and that
our investments help communities to be stronger in the face of the
future drought that will, of course will come."