Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, also known as the
Horn of Africa, are suffering their
worst drought in 60 years. An estimated 12 million people face a food
crisis, and the United Nations has declared a famine in southern Somalia.
Recent political trends encourage some politicians to oppose the foreign aid needed to help prevent famines like this. You can tell your elected officials to support increased aid to the Horn of Africa and to oppose cuts in foreign aid. It's easy to send a letter today! (See below.) You can also spread the word! Here are versions in Microsoft Word that you can download and edit if you like: Write President Obama!
If you have trouble with this link, his address is: …and feel free to use the following letter as a model. Politicians consider handwritten letters more effective, since that shows you think this issue is worth even more of your time: Your Name (Today's Date) The Honorable ____(Full name of Your Representative or
Senator) Dear Representative (or President or Senator) ___ (add their full name), East Africa needs our immediate help. Over 12.4 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti face severe malnourishment and dehydration. Over 29,000 children under age five are already dead.
What you can do This tragedy could have been avoided if the United States and other nations were more effective with foreign aid. However, a bill to slash funding for foreign aid programs was approved recently by the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Foreign Affairs. It is important to reduce the deficit, but not by cutting programs that help the world’s poorest people. We should instead expand and improve these programs! Please introduce legislation to raise our contribution for the Horn of Africa to $1 billion this fiscal year. America should encourage our allies to give generously, too. That way, we can respond to the immediate crisis and start projects that bring a more permanent solution for the region. It is also important that we get to the root of these problems. Please oppose the House Appropriations Bill in its current form. Instead, support legislation that provides more funding to our aid programs. Please let me know today the specific things that you are doing for each of these urgent reforms. Thank you, (your signature) (your type-written name)
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