Kenya was first on Saturday to sign an agreement to fight extreme hunger as the UN reported that famine in the Horn of Africa is worsening. An estimated 13 million people are now affected and an extra 700 million dollars are needed to assist them, dpa quoted the United Nations as saying. The Charter to End Extreme Hunger, a UN initiative to combat the scourge in poor countries, was opened for signatures at UN headquarters at a mini-summit on the famine in the Horn. Government leaders from the region and elsewhere were there to assess progress in alleviating famine in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti. Somalia is worst hit by the drought and famine in large areas of its southern region. "Three quarters of a million men, women and children are at imminent risk of starvation, and 4 million need our urgent help," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Kenya's Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the first government official from the region to support the initiative, said famine was an attack on the conscience of mankind. "We should never allow people to starve, sometimes to death, because of famine which is preventable," said Odinga. "I am hopeful that this charter, which I am aware will evolve over the next few weeks, will make a real difference." Ban told the meeting that tens of thousands of Somalis have taken refuge in neighboring countries while Mogadishu is swamped by people seeking assistance. Millions of people in Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti continue to face severe difficulties. Communities of residents around the refugee camps in those countries were also asking for equal treatment. "Somalia will never be free of the threat of famine until it has peace and stability," Ban said of the continued threat of insurgents in that country. "Many of you have given generously, but we still need approximately 700 million dollars this year," he said. "Next year we will need more."
