US First Lady Jill Biden has called on rich nations to provide more financial aid to countries in the Horn of Africa, which are facing their worst drought in 40 years. He did so during his visit to Kenya on Sunday.
Five consecutive failed monsoons have killed millions of animals and destroyed crops, leaving 22 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia at risk of starvation.
The United States has taken over most of the financial aid available to the region. “We cannot be alone. Other countries must join this effort to help people in the region,” Biden said at an aid distribution base in Kajiado, 50 miles from the capital, Nairobi.
“Unfortunately you know there is a war in Ukraine. There is also an earthquake in Turkey. There are many conflicting interests, but I want to say that people are starving here,” the first lady said.
Broad collective
Earlier this week, President Joe Biden’s wife had already visited Namibia. There, he spoke to parents struggling to feed their children and communities without access to water. Namibia and Kenya are two stops on Jill Biden’s trip to strengthen ties with the continent, where the Biden administration dedicated a summit in December.
At that summit, President Biden advocated a broader partnership with Africa as the United States seeks to increase its presence on the continent in the face of Chinese investment. Multi-billion dollar projects were announced in the coming years.
This will be Jill Biden’s first visit to Africa as US First Lady.
Is Unlimited Access to Showbytes Free? What can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing of the stars.
“Passionate analyst. Thinker. Devoted twitter evangelist. Wannabe music specialist.”
More Stories
Blinken: China's dissent must be handled responsibly
Research on opportunities for the horticultural business community in the United States
Anti-Israel protests at American universities are becoming increasingly violent