OCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Published purpose

August 2011 - The year 2011 is proving to be the driest year since 1951 in many parts of east Africa as a result of an increasingly severe drought. Successive seasons of failed rains, combined with increasing food prices, conflict, and limited humanitarian access, have resulted in food insecurity, water shortages, and acute malnutrition rates well above emergency thresholds. More than 12 million people are now in need of humanitarian assistance in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. With CIDA support, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is helping to provide overall coordination of the international humanitarian response to the drought in eastern Africa. Through its efforts, OCHA is providing continuous reporting on the situation, facilitating communications among donors, local governments, and humanitarian agencies to ensure a coordinated response and avoid duplication, and advocating for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to ensure the security of humanitarian workers.