FAO held today at its headquarters in Rome an international emergency meeting to discuss measures needed to tackle the crisis in the Horn of Africa, where 11 million people are in critical situation due to the devastating effects of drought in the area. The meeting was organized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the request of the French Government as current president of the G-20.
The crisis, according to data released by FAO, affecting the entire Horn of Africa, including the northern part of Kenya and the Karamoja region in Uganda. Among the countries most affected by drought is Somalia, where the UN said on Wednesday the state of famine in two regions of the south, Bakool and Lower Shabelle, something unprecedented in the last 20 years.
In Somalia, drought is compounded by the violence that exists in the center and the south, controlled almost entirely by fundamentalist Islamic militia, linked to al-Shabab terrorist network Al Qaeda, which has threatened repeatedly humanitarian organizations to keep operating in their domains.
Increased support in today's meeting is expected to include representatives of 191 member countries of FAO and other UN agencies, NGOs and regional development banks. The executive director of World Food Program, Josette Sheeran, went to countries affected by drought and a press conference in Nairobi (Kenya) said it takes $360 million additional to face between now and year-end the crisis.
The EU announced on Saturday increased its economic aid to the Horn of Africa through the Commissioner for International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, Georgieva, as the European Commission (EC) allocated 27.8 million euros more to alleviate the suffering of victims of drought.
The crisis, according to data released by FAO, affecting the entire Horn of Africa, including the northern part of Kenya and the Karamoja region in Uganda. Among the countries most affected by drought is Somalia, where the UN said on Wednesday the state of famine in two regions of the south, Bakool and Lower Shabelle, something unprecedented in the last 20 years.
In Somalia, drought is compounded by the violence that exists in the center and the south, controlled almost entirely by fundamentalist Islamic militia, linked to al-Shabab terrorist network Al Qaeda, which has threatened repeatedly humanitarian organizations to keep operating in their domains.
Increased support in today's meeting is expected to include representatives of 191 member countries of FAO and other UN agencies, NGOs and regional development banks. The executive director of World Food Program, Josette Sheeran, went to countries affected by drought and a press conference in Nairobi (Kenya) said it takes $360 million additional to face between now and year-end the crisis.
The EU announced on Saturday increased its economic aid to the Horn of Africa through the Commissioner for International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, Georgieva, as the European Commission (EC) allocated 27.8 million euros more to alleviate the suffering of victims of drought.
No comments:
Post a Comment