Ashleigh Wallace, Belfast Telegraph, 25th March 2006

An Irish aid worker based in northern Kenya has urged the people of Ireland to support efforts to alleviate the hunger of the millions currently affected by drought.

Simon Roughneen (28), an aid worker with the GOAL humanitarian agency, has been in Kenya for two months and has seen first-hand the effects the drought is having on the people of the region.

And with drought comes the loss of animals which are vital not just for food but for livelihoods.

With famine looming and no sign of rain, Simon revealed GOAL is currently working to bring food to the most vulnerable people ahead of the next harvest season.

Simon, from Co Mayo, said: "Hundreds of tonnes of food need to be delivered to the most affected areas and in the short term, we need to give people enough food to tide them over until hopefully the rains come again."

Whilst working in the region, Simon met with goat herder Ekiru Lotiayan, who revealed how he walked for two days with his herd of 35 goats, just to reach a dried-up river bed.

Ekiru told Simon: "We have suffered with the hunger for many years. In Turkana, we have not had proper rain for two years. Our animals are dying and we are suffering. We need our animals to love. We have no other way. We have no other source for living except for these animals. I have lost 30 goats, four camels and four donkeys since this drought started. There are no jobs here. We cannot grow things in such a place. Our goats are our gardens. And when they die, we will soon follow."

Simon, whose father is from Belfast, urged the people of Ireland - north and south - to help alleviate the plight of the Kenyans by putting pressure on their politicians.

He said: "This is a huge problem, bigger than any aid agency. People can help by giving money to any aid agency but they can also talk to their political representatives and ask them to put pressure on both the British and Irish governments.

"Both governments have donated generously, but politicians can be asked to use their influence to get other governments who maybe have not been as generous to give a little more money."