East Africa famine fund deadline nears

Canadians were urged Wednesday to make "one last push" and give to East Africa famine relief before the federal government's offer to match donations expires on Friday.

International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda and representatives from the Humanitarian Coalition made the appeal for donations at a news conference on Parliament Hill. They said more than 13 million people are being affected by the ongoing drought and famine in the Horn of Africa with lives being lost every day, people scrambling to survive by fleeing their homes in search of food and seeking help in overcrowded refugee camps.

Robert Fox, executive director of Oxfam Canada, said the humanitarian crisis in Somalia and its neighbouring countries grew more acute over the summer and that aid agencies working in the refugee camps providing food, water, education, health services and other assistance want to scale up their efforts and save even more lives.

His group and the other four aid agencies that make up the Humanitarian Coalition have raised more than $10 million from Canadians. Fox congratulated Canadians for their genorosity and asked them to keep giving.

"For those of you who have donated, we thank you for your contribution. For those of you who have not, we encourage you to make that contribution and even some of you who have donated, we encourage you to think yet again whether you can give us more, given the severity of the situation,” he said.

Fox urged people to give before Friday so that donations can be maximized by the federal government's matching program.

The government started the East Africa Drought Relief Fund 10 weeks ago and pledged to donate one dollar for every dollar a Canadian gives to a registered charity that is providing assistance in the drought-ravaged countries. The matching period ends at midnight on Friday.

Oda joined in the call for Canadians to keep opening their wallets, and described the devastation she saw first-hand at the sprawling refugee camp in Dadaab, Kenya when she travelled there in July.

“This is a crisis that calls upon the best that Canada has to offer as a compassionate and humane country,” said Oda. “Today I urge all Canadians to make one last push and donate to registered Canadian charities responding to the drought in East Africa,” she said.

Aid agencies said Wednesday that more aid is needed to help starving children in East Africa and they encouraged Canadians to keep donating to famine relief funds. Farah Abdi Warsameh/Associated Press Oda said in total Canadians have donated more than $35 million as of the first week of September. The government will announce the final tally of donations once the deadline has passed and the information is collected. The deadline will not be extended because the government wants to start doling out the money quickly and get it flowing to the aid groups on the ground, she said.

The federal government has committed $72 million to the region already and the eventual amount of the East Africa Drought Relief Fund will be on top of that contribution. The fund will be split up among organizations that the Canadian International Development Agency decides are best-suited to deliver aid on the ground.

The minister acknowledged the reports of some aid being diverted and not reaching the people who need it. “This shouldn’t mean that we as Canadians don’t help. It means we have to be more diligent in how aid is distributed and reaches the women and children,” she said.

Oda said she can assure Canadians that "every effort" is being made to ensure their donations will reach those in need and that CIDA is very careful when it decides what projects to fund.

Patricia Erb, president and CEO of Save the Children, just returned from the Dadaab camp on Monday and said she heard tragic stories from people who had walked for days and in dangerous conditions to reach it.

It was an overwhelming experience but she left with some hope because the aid agencies there are co-operating well and making a difference, said Erb.

"The numbers in the camp are slightly going down. That means that some of the assistance that is being offered in the communities is working," she said. There is still no rain, however, and the numbers could go back up.

"We urge, in the last two days that have the maximizing effort of a matching fund, for all Canadians to give," she said. Canadians have been generous but, "we need to do more," Erb said.

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Don nears Texas coast, could deliver needed rain

Tropical Storm Don is expected to make landfall late FridayThe expected track of the storm is farther south than earlier predictedThe storm could bring up to seven inches of rain to some areas

(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Don was poised to make landfall late Friday on a popular stretch of beach in south Texas, but the promise of much-needed rain for much of the parched state dimmed as the storm aimed farther south than previously predicted.

The storm was forecast to make landfall on the Padre Island National Seashore, between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, between 9 p.m. and midnight, according to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen. The seashore is not heavily populated.

Don, well shy of hurricane force-winds of 74 mph, is expected to weaken significantly after landfall, the Hurricane Center said. While heavy rain is predicted for coastal areas Friday night and Saturday, the National Weather Service predicts a 40% chance or less of scattered storms farther inland.

For example, the chance of rain was 20% in San Antonio, San Angelo and Abilene.

A narrow band west of the landfall could see between 5 inches and 7 inches of rain, but Friday's predicted track shows the storm mainly drenching mountains in a slice of southern Texas and northern Mexico, then quickly dissipating by Sunday.

At 4 p.m. CDT, Don had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and higher gusts as it spun toward the west-northwest at 16 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm was about 95 miles southeast of Corpus Christi and about 105 miles northeast of Brownsville.

Storm surge will increase water levels a foot or two over normal in the immediate landfall area, the Hurricane Center said.

A tropical storm warning remained in effect Friday afternoon from the mouth of the Rio Grande River to Matagorda, Texas.

With the winds expected at landfall to be in the 50 to 60 mph range, limited damage is forecast, according to Hennen.

David Villareal, who operates David's Fishing Lodge in Port Mansfield, said, "I don't see anyone panicking or boarding up."

Port Mansfield is a departure point for those hoping to catch speckled trout and redfish in Laguna Madre, the bay between the mainland and Padre Island.

Companies with personnel along the Texas coast took precautions as the storm neared.

ExxonMobil began evacuating nonessential personnel from offshore facilities in the path of the storm Thursday, spokesman Patrick McGinn said. Gross production of approximately 8,000 barrels per day of liquids and 50 million cubic feet per day of natural gas was shut down.

The U.S. Coast Guard issued a warning Thursday afternoon, urging people to plan and prepare ahead of the storm. The statement cautions residents to stay clear of beaches, to take action early -- including securing boating equipment and hazardous materials -- and to evacuate as necessary.

Any rain would be a welcome relief for many Texas farmers, who are suffering from the third worst drought in recorded history, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

But most farmers had adopted an "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude toward the speculation earlier this week that Don could bring rain to the state, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said Thursday.

CNN's Chelsea Bailey and Molly Green contributed to this report.

Quoting : CNN.com