Eritrea
Emergency relief to Eritrea after war and drought

afrol.com, 1 September - At the request of the Eritrean government, CARE intends to work for the first time in that country, assisting people affected by the war with Ethiopia and the region-wide drought. CARE, an international relief and development organization, today formally applied with the Eritrean government for approval to begin work.

CARE today announced plans for an emergency relief program in Eritrea, extending the agency's efforts to address the humanitarian crisis caused by drought and conflict in the Horn of Africa. 

CARE hopes to provide emergency assistance in some or all of the following areas: helping local institutions manage food distribution, providing seeds for planting, landmine awareness and demining, and health care for women and children displaced by the war.

Up to 1 million Eritreans were believed to have left their homes at the height of the fighting. Most recent estimates indicate about 350,000 have returned to their home regions, many of which were damaged. Roughly 50,000 Eritreans are in camps in Eastern Sudan. The drought affects another 335,000 people in conflict-free areas.

"CARE joins other aid agencies in seeking to raise the world's attention to the seriousness of the humanitarian situation throughout the Horn of Africa. Due to drought and conflict, millions of people are suffering. We appeal for the world's attention and for adequate funds to support emergency relief programs," said Jonathan Mitchell, East Africa regional director, CARE USA. 

In addition to Eritrea, CARE is providing emergency relief in the following countries in the Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan. With significant capacity and experience in the region, CARE expects to respond to the needs in Eritrea quickly and effectively.

CARE is one of the world's largest international relief and development organizations, working in more than 60 countries across Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean. CARE's mission is to relieve human suffering, to provide economic opportunity and to build sustained capacity for self-help in some of the poorest communities of the world. 

Source: CARE

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