Bradford charity helps famine victims in Africa (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford charity helps famine victims in Africa

9:30am Sunday 21st August 2011 in News

A Bradford humanitarian charity wants to set up a medical centre for famine victims en route to the world’s biggest refugee camp.

About 1,300 people are arriving from drought-stricken Somalia every day at the Dadaab camp in Kenya, near the border between the two countries.

There are now nearly 400,000 people at the settlement, built 20 years ago to house 90,000 refugees.

Millions are suffering due to a famine caused by the worst drought to hit the region in decades.

Anjum Tahirkheli, founder of Bradford-based Basic Human Rights, has recently returned from Kenya, where the charity was finding out what it could do to help.

“Nobody wants to work at the border – it’s the most dangerous bit, but the most needy,” she said. “We want to set up a health clinic so they can have immediate health access. We feel that is the greatest need.”

She said the area had been dubbed the “road to death”, because people were being robbed and raped and dying of starvation there. She said on the trip the group had handed out nutritional biscuits and milk, but did not have enough supplies to help everyone who needed food.

On Sunday the charity is hosting a cricket event with Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi. Youngsters can try their hands at bowling to the cricketer, at Manningham Mills Cricket Club, from 10am to noon.

In the evening Mr Afridi will be a guest of honour at an Iftaar Dinner at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford in aid of the charity’s projects.

For details, phone the charity on (01274) 301996.