African Development Bank pledges $300m of $356m support for Horn of Africa drought

The African Development Bank has offered $300 million of a total amount of $356 million raised to respond to drought in the Horn of Africa.

According to an AFP report citing African Union Commission chief Jean Ping, African countries and other private donors raised the rest of the amount.

According to the UN, the worst drought to hit the Horn of Africa in the last 60 years is affecting 12.4 million people.

The funds were raised at a fund-raising conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia which was the first of its kind by the African Union, which has so far pledged $500,000 of the $2.4 billion needed to assist the drought victims.

Meanwhile, an 11-year-old Ghanaian boy, Andrew Adansi-Bonnah has embarked on a fund-raiser to raise money to buy food for children in the Horn of Africa.

He says he will use his eight-week school holidays to raise GH¢20 million Ghanaian cedis — or about $13 million. Andrew is in Ethiopia to address the AU during the fund-raising event.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi