The Bermuda Red Cross has come under fire from former Cabinet Minister Quinton Edness, for showing a “lack of interest” in the Horn of Africa famine appeal.However, charity director Ann Spencer Arscott said the appeal has been well-publicised and that some causes are simply more popular than others.The African crisis caught local headlines in August, when Premier Paula Cox pledged that Government would match public donations up to the sum of $50,000.The East African region has been hit by drought and conflict, leaving millions in need of food and healthcare. According to the United Nations, tens of thousands of Somalis, mainly children, have died in recent months.“The Bermuda Red Cross made a small announcement in August that they had set up the appeal,” Mr Edness said. “My problem is that’s all they did.”However, Mrs Spencer Arscott responded: “It’s not the only thing. We put an ad in the paper, I talked it up on Hott 107.5 radio with Nikita Robinson, and the appeal is on our website.”However, she said, the appeal has so far raised just under $10,000.The Chile Earthquake Appeal, conversely, raised over $15,000 locally.“There’s not much you can do to force the public to make a donation. We received over $350,000 for Japan’s earthquake relief.”She ascribed the low donation to a variety of factors, ranging from “donor fatigue”, to the launch’s summer publicity, when large numbers of Bermudians are holidaying.The charity is still collecting, she said, and any funds sent in for causes that have not been launched in Bermuda are passed on to the British Red Cross.To make a donation to the Horn of Africa famine appeal, call the Bermuda Red Cross at 236-8253.Useful website:www.bermudaredcross.com