OTTAWA —More than 20 million people are facing extreme food insecurity as a result of conflicts in northeastern Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen, as well as a devastating drought affecting Somalia. This afternoon Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, on behalf of Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie committed $119.25 million toward addressing the crisis.

Stuart Hickox, ONE’s Canada Director offered this response:

“A couple of years ago, Bono, our co-founder, famously said ‘the world needs more Canada.’ In light of the famines in northeast Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen in which 20 million people are at risk, that’s true now more than ever. We are grateful for Minister Hussen’s and Minister Bibeau’s leadership in addressing this crisis and applaud their commitment of $119.25 million. This decision will save lives, and is a good reminder of how important it is to our shared humanity that Canada boldly leads in the world.

About ONE:

ONE is a policy and advocacy organization of more than 7.5 million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Not politically partisan, ONE was co-founded by U2 lead singer Bono to raise public awareness and press political leaders to combat AIDS and other preventable diseases, increase investments in agriculture and nutrition, and demand greater transparency in poverty-fighting programs.