Washington, D.C. - Congressman Howard Berman, Ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement commending the administration’s decision to commit additional humanitarian aid in response to the famine in the Horn of Africa.

“I strongly commend the President’s decision to commit an additional $105 million towards famine relief in the Horn of Africa.   Working in close coordination with the international community, we still have time to prevent the mass starvation we saw in Ethiopia during the 1980’s.

“We have a strategic interest in preventing the Horn of Africa from descending into the chaos of hunger and disease, conditions that could be exploited by al Shabab and other terrorist organizations.  But we also have a moral responsibility to help those who are literally on the verge of death.”