The United States will give an additional $17 million in aid for fighting famine in the Horn of Africa, including $12 million to help Somalis, Reuters quoted U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as saying on Thursday. Clinton said in a speech the new money -- which comes on top of $105 million in U.S. assistance announced on Monday -- would bring total U.S. humanitarian aid to the drought-hit region to more than $580 million this year. With more than 12 million people affected by the worst drought in decades in Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti and Somalia, Clinton called on governments and donors to end the cycle of drought and famine across region by investing in agriculture. She said the famine was the "most severe humanitarian emergency in the world today and the worst that East Africa has seen in several decades." "And while we hurry to deliver life-saving assistance, we must also maintain our focus on the future by continuing to invest in long-term food security in countries that are susceptible to drought and food shortages," she told the International Food Policy research Institute. About 3.6 million people in Somalia are at risk of starvation. -- SPA
