U.S., international support for Somali refugees making a difference

Aug 16 2011

Ambassador Ertharin Cousin, U.S. representative to the U.N. Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome, writes about her recent visit to the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya in the State Department's "DipNote" blog. "There is something remarkable about seeing how U.S. contributions - both from our government and the private sector - can be transformed into something as concrete and life-saving as a simple meal for a little girl. Washington has committed around $580 million to the relief effort. Hopefully that will save a lot more children here in Dadaab and around the Horn. The international community has provided around $1.4 billion, but it's not enough - I know that and we continue to push for more support from other donors. But it is a start and it is making a real and lasting difference," she writes (8/12).