Johansson bats for famine-struck Africa
September 27th, 2011 - 3:04 am ICT by IANSLondon, Sep 27 (IANS) Actress Scarlett Johansson says “extreme action” is needed to tackle famine in Africa.
Johansson, who serves as an ambassador to British aid agency Oxfam, visited a refugee camp in Kenya, and was moved to witness the plight of millions of Somali refugees who have left their homes in a bid to find food, reports dailystar.co.uk.
“The scale of poverty in Dadaab (refugee camp) is overwhelming. I met countless women like Hawa, a local community leader, who lamented the seemingly endless struggle of the Somali people, as refugees of war and starvation and now left to suffer everyday life with the very barest of essentials,” she said.
“This is a long term and escalating crisis exacerbated by political conflict, famine and drought that can no longer be ignored. Over half the Somalis that have died are children; an entire generation lost. This is no longer an issue that can only garner some attention, some of the time. Extreme action must be taken by the global community now,” added the 26-year-old.
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- 750,000 people may die in East African famine: UN - Sep 07, 2011
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