Rep. Ellison Welcomes USAID Announcement of Additional Aid for Horn of Africa

Press Release

At a community forum hosted by Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) today, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Dr. Raj Shah announced an additional $23 million in humanitarian assistance for the Horn of Africa. Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN), American Refugee Committee Executive Director Daniel Wordsworth, and Somali Action Alliance Executive Director Hashi Shafi attended the forum, which sought to improve communication and collaboration between all parties to address the crisis in the Horn of Africa. The forum highlighted the concerns of local residents and what they, federal policymakers and NGOs are doing to address the famine.

"This additional funding is a necessary and welcome development," said Rep. Ellison. "Assistance is desperately needed to address the world's worst humanitarian crisis in a generation. As the Representative of the largest Somali-American population in the U.S., Administrator Shah's announcement helps ease my constituents' concerns. I look forward to continued work with my constituents, my colleagues in Congress, and the appropriate federal agencies to help provide relief to those suffering from famine."

The famine, the worst in 60 years, centers on Somalia and threatens the livelihoods of more than 12 million people. Unsanitary conditions at refugee camps in neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia have exacerbated the crisis, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, including 29,000 children under the age of five. The additional USAID assistance includes $21 million in International Disaster Assistance ($16 million for disaster relief and $5 million for emergency food security) and $2 million of Migration and Refugee Assistance. The United States has provided a total of $604.6 million in humanitarian assistance to the Horn of Africa this year.

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