WELLINGTON, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government is to give 3 million NZ dollars (2.1 million U.S. dollars) to help with people affected by famine in Africa and Yemen, Foreign Minister Murray McCully said Wednesday.
"More than 20 million people are currently facing famine conditions or severe food shortages across the greater Horn of Africa, Nigeria and Yemen," McCully said in a statement.
"Droughts in some of these areas have been compounded by conflict and insecurity, giving rise to a very serious humanitarian situation."
A third of the funding would go to New Zealand non-government organisations with partners working on the ground in the greater Horn of Africa, and would focus on assistance in food, water and health care.
Another third would support the World Food Programme's work in South Sudan and a third would go to the International Committee of the Red Cross for relief efforts in Yemen and Nigeria.
