But international aid is often more geared toward those who cross international borders. The dilemma is made worse by the international humanitarian aid network already straining due to successive protracted global crises in the likes of Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Nigeria. Under the 1951 Refugee Convention, crossing a border entitles refugees to international protection, whereas IDPs remain the responsibility of national governments. A major obstacle to helping those displaced by drought is how pastoralists aren’t the only ones facing depleted resources. “Since securing additional resources from donors, we are now able to provide emergency food assistance to additional people for the next three months in the Somali region,” Smerdon says.

Source: Ethiopian News September 05, 2017 12:56 UTC