The dilemma of the Horn

From arms to famine.

International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell has described the response of other countries to the African famine crises as "derisory" but the scale of the problem is enormous and not limited to feeding the hungry.

Islamists in Somalia have agreed to lift restrictions to allow aid to get through but doubts inevitably remain leading to a crisis in charitable giving. With 57% of people believing overseas aid is wasted and stories of corruption with aid diverted or even used against our interests here and here the temptation to ignore requests to donate, eg, to DEC is becoming a problem.

Despite the harrowing pictures it must be right to question a strategy that saves people in a time of crisis only to let them live a life of misery, often mercifully short. Misrule, the problem ofpiracy, and the threat of militant Islamic expansion all need to be addressed to restore public confidence that their charity is not misused or abused.

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Water Aid update

Some welcome cheer from Water Aid. International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell this week announced that he plans to attend the High Level Meeting of the Sanitation and Water for All partnership in Washington in April. In an email message Water Aid said "this came as a result of your actions, after your MPs asked questions in Parliament and many more wrote to Mr Mitchell to urge him to attend. It's fantastic to see the UK leading the way in committing to address the water and sanitation crisis. In the meantime, you can help us spread the word by sharing our short animated film with your friends and family. It's a simple and inspiring way to explain why water and sanitation are so fundamental not only to saving lives, but to health, education and livelihoods too."

To watch the 2 min film click here. So little can mean so much to others, life or death in fact.

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Water Aid: please email you MP

A Water Worksupdate in April detailed how the International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell MP announced that the UK is to double its targets on water and sanitation. An extra 30 Million people will now be reached by 2015 through UK aid – at least 60 million in total.

Supporters of WaterAid's work are being asked to encourage their MPs to attend. UK residents can easily do so by following the simple instructions here.

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