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8/30/11 (AEIN) Various international organizations continue to contribute humanitarian aid for Kenya and Somalia to help the two East African countries cope with the effects of a severe drought. The need for assistance remains great as the drought persists.
The state-run international broadcaster VOA reported on Tuesday that the World Bank will contribute a significant amount of aid to Kenya, which faces both the drought and the cost of hosting refugees from Somalia. Meanwhile, the IKEA Foundation will donate $62,000,000 dollars to help the United Nations supply humanitarian assistance in a part of Kenya which continues to host many Somali refugees.
The U.N. announced on Tuesday that it will provide 240 tons of additional food to Somalia in an effort to prevent malnutrition and starvation. The international organization will distribute meals in Mogadishu and other parts of the country suffering food shortages caused by the drought. The neighboring oil-rich nation of Saudi Arabia supplied this food to the United Nations.
Kenya's climate ranges from dry to tropical. It borders Somalia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Sudan and Uganda. Somalia is nearly as large as the U.S. state of Texas. It suffers from desertification, repeated droughts, deforestation and frequent bouts of armed conflict.