“Heart-rending” scenes of hunger in Kenya, says David Andrews

The Chairman also noted that people in Kenya have already responded very generously to the needs of their own countrymen, giving the equivalent Euro 4.5 million to help farmers and nomadic herdsmen whose families are going hungry as livestock die and crops fail due to the recent drought.

Describing the current situation as “being in the balance”, David Andrews said:
“If the rains come, that’s great but there is then the question of sanitation. If the rains don’t come, cattle will continue to die and people will starve”.

“What I have to say is that what I’ve seen today is very heartrending, particularly the malnourished children and their mother who also weren’t well from lack of food and lack of water. The second part of our journey was the horrific sight of many (carcasses) of cattle heaped dead on the side of the road and elsewhere.”

“The Kenyan Red Cross – our sister organisation – is doing an exceptional job. But we must also seek the generous help of our own people in Ireland who dig deeper and deeper.

“I think the spirit of a nation can be measured by the generosity of its people to other people’s problems; I think that Ireland has that spirit and has that attitude to the problems and suffering of nations like Kenya,” concluded David Andrews.

David Andrews is leading a delegation from the Irish Red Cross to northern Kenya and Ethiopia o review the impact of the funds already raised in Ireland and to see what further action is needed to prevent the spread of hunger.

He has also been asked by the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr Conor Lenihan TD, to report back to the Irish Government on the situation.

Up to 11 million people are at risk from food shortages in Kenya and in surrounding countries and this mission will see what action can be taken before its too late.

The delegation also includes the Irish Red Cross International Programmes Manager, Noel Wardick who will travel on to Ethiopia this weekend.

The Irish Red Cross has already sent €150,000 to pay for emergency food and water supplies, in response to a worldwide appeal for more aid from the international Red Cross. This money will be split to provide €50,000 each to Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya.

Tour to last from 19 April – 28 April:
A full itinerary including dates for meetings and for travel to and from the affected areas is available.
Interviews from the field can be set-up by arrangement.
Please contact Aoife Mac Eoin: 087 – 239 1984