Statement by the Press Secretary on U.S. Commitment to Prevent Widespread Famine in the Horn of Africa

Today, the President announced a U.S. Government commitment of $92 million to prevent widespread famine in the Horn of Africa and to diminish the underlying causes of food insecurity. This includes use of funds designated by Congress for early intervention to prevent or mitigate the effects of famine. This is in addition to more than $150 million in emergency humanitarian food and non-food assistance already provided by the United States to the region since October 2005.

This increase in funding will mitigate the effects of the crisis in the Horn of Africa. We commend the Governments of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti for their assistance in the delivery of aid to prevent another catastrophic famine in the Horn of Africa.

The President calls upon other donor nations to contribute to this effort.