United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on Tuesday evening to express his gratitude for Kuwait's immediate response to the appeal for aid for the drought and famine-stricken Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia. During the call, the UN supremo also hailed HH the Amir's directive ordering a fundraising campaign to alleviate the suffering of those affected by the horrendous drought in the troubled region. On his part, HH the Amir expressed Kuwait's tremendous sympathy for those struggling with both drought and famine in the Horn of Africa, vowing that Kuwait would continue to perform its humanitarian duty towards the people there and join with the international efforts to alleviate their suffering. HH the Amir also voiced a wish that international efforts would be stepped up to address the tragic crisis in Somalia and elsewhere in the Horn of Africa.