Tesema Negash Quotations

Many Kenyans ... are already living in the edge and unless donors respond immediately, we fear for the worst.

Now the numbers are bound only to go up. We must receive donations as early as possible in 2006, or it will be too late for many people.

If it weren't for this program, this place would look like everywhere else right now.

Ironically, these rains bring little respite. While they have alleviated the immediate need for water, there is increased risk of people falling sick from drinking contaminated water, while livestock deaths have continued because the animals are too weak and vulnerable to diseases such as pneumonia when temperatures drop at night.

Our lack of funding has given us little choice.

We have warned and appealed for months for contributions to save lives in drought-hit Kenya.

We are now looking for cash to move the food. And it is critical that WFP be able to respond immediately to the food needs of Kenyans who have depleted their own resources.

The problems caused by 21 years of civil war are not going to disappear overnight. Bringing all the Sudanese home will take a long time and needs the international community's support to happen.

We are in the middle of an emergency. If we receive no new donations now, it is extremely likely that Kenya will be hit by a humanitarian disaster in the months to come.

We are sounding the alarm now because of what the early-warning indicators are all showing: a rapidly deteriorating situation. We need immediate action to avoid the loss of people's assets and their lives.

Without fresh pledges, WFP will not be able to meet the March needs.

Even normal rains won't bring dead livestock back to life in the north or provide an immediate harvest in the east. There is no quick fix to this emergency after five consecutive poor seasons.

Our donors have helped many people live through this drought, but it would be a cruel escape, if those who lost the most only suffer more in the months ahead because contributions dry up. We must stay the course, and help these people recover rather than abandon them because of the rains.

The most vulnerable families are those who have seen all their livestock perish or are unable to plant for the next harvest because they have no money left for seeds or fertilizer.

This first group is a hope for the future for all Sudanese refugees and displaced.

The end is at last in sight, but we will all need to work to get there.