Mexico provides humanitarian aid to Africa

The Mexican government donated 1 million U.S. dollars to four African countries in a bid to overcome a humanitarian crisis, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Mexican President Felipe Calderon authorized the financial aid to Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya in response to their emergency call. The donation, announced in Rome, Italy, will be channeled through the United Nations and the World Food Program, whose primary task is to deliver food to victims in disaster-stricken or war areas. "Currently, 12.4 million people need urgent food relief in eastern Africa, including 2 million children under the age of five," the ministry said, adding that more than half of the affected population (about 7.5 million) have been relocated. The ministry also expressed concerns over overcrowded camps and the outbreaks and spread of cholera and measles due to insufficient medical care.