Drought warning prompts call for early action

AFRICA: AU wants peace, security and bigger global role in 2012

WASHINGTON, 12 January 2012 (IRIN) - The African Union (AU) has unveiled an ambitious wish-list of priorities for Africa that would give the continent a stronger global voice, boost democracy and encourage peace and security. full report

HORN & EASTERN AFRICA: Drought highlights in 2011

NAIROBI, 30 December 2011 (IRIN) - Severe drought, exacerbated by poverty and conflict, hit at least four countries in 2011 - Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia - displacing hundreds of thousands of people. full report

ETHIOPIA: Cautionary migration tales are no deterrent

JIJIGA, 22 November 2011 (IRIN) - Ethiopians are on the move. Not only are more rural people relocating to towns and cities, but the number of Ethiopians leaving the country has also ballooned in the last few years. full report

DJIBOUTI: Migrants risk all for "better life"

OBOCK, 15 November 2011 (IRIN) - Thousands of migrants traverse the road between Djibouti’s capital, Djiboutiville, and the coastal town of Obock carrying little more than a bottle of water and the hope that they are heading towards a better life. They pass through an arid landscape strewn with volcanic rock that sustains little life besides the occasional pastoralist and his goats. Temperatures average around 34 degrees Celsius in winter and in summer can reach 52 degrees. full report

FOOD: Rumpus over GM food aid

JOHANNESBURG, 18 October 2011 (IRIN) - Genetically modified (GM) food aid bound for Africa has long been a bone of contention among governments, scientists, activists, consumers and aid workers. full report

HORN OF AFRICA: Thinking outside the traditional funding box

NAIROBI, 1 September 2011 (IRIN) - The race to feed more than 12 million people facing severe food shortages in the Horn of Africa has seen humanitarian agencies make several funding appeals. Donor governments have contributed US$1.46 billion out of the required $2.48 billion. full report

HORN OF AFRICA: Fast facts about the drought

NAIROBI, 5 August 2011 (IRIN) - The Horn of Africa is facing what has been called the worst drought in 60 years, with an estimated 12.4 million people urgently needing food. Here are some points about the ongoing food crisis: full report

HORN OF AFRICA: Famine to spread across southern Somalia - UN

GENEVA, 29 July 2011 (IRIN) - The food crisis in the Horn of Africa is likely to continue for most of 2011 and famine is expected to spread to the whole of southern Somalia, the UN said on 29 July. full report

Analysis: Horn of Africa aid must also build long-term resilience

GENEVA, 27 July 2011 (IRIN) - The images of starving children bear grim witness to the extent of the crisis affecting millions of people in the Horn of Africa, but they also symbolize a failure to act in time, say aid experts. full report