ID :
200301
Wed, 08/10/2011 - 09:14
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/200301
The shortlink copeid
Arab League Lauds Qatar's Relief Efforts in Somalia
Cairo, August 09 (QNA) - The Council of the Arab League on Tuesday praised Qatar's support to Somalia aimed at countering the worsening food crisis in the Horn of Africa.
The remarks came during a meeting held by the Council today on the level of permanent representatives under the chairmanship of Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali al Harthy, Sultanate's Ambassador to Egypt and its Permanent Representative to the Arab League, and the presence of the Arab League Secretary General, Nabil Al Araby.
In its closing statement, the Council called on member states to intensify relief efforts, urging them to mobilize the civil society organizations and the private sector to take part in relief operations.
It also stressed the importance of coordinating efforts between the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the African Union (AU) and the and United Nations agencies in order to address the current drought crisis in Somalia, calling for an emergency meeting to mobilize humanitarian support and ensure rapid delivery and distribution of relief aid to drought-affected people.
It urged the Arab League General Secretariat, Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), the Arab Center For The Studies Of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), the Arab Health Ministers Council and the Council of Arab Social Affairs Ministers to intensify cooperation with the UN specialized agencies and related organizations; especially the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to implement an plan of action to address the drought situation in Somalia and the Horn of Africa and its humanitarian consequences and a high-priority plan to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Concluding, the Council decided to hold in September a ministerial level meeting to address Somalia's drought, discuss the latest political developments and evaluate the humanitarian response to the crisis.
The Arab emergency response in Somalia has a positive impact on the Somali people and Government, Al Araby said at a joint news conference with Sultanate's Ambassador to Egypt and its Permanent Representative to the Arab League .
He also hailed the relief flights and convoys led by Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Algeria.
For his part, Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali al Harthy said the Arab League has donated USD 500000 in aid to help Somalia.
Qatar is one of the earliest countries in the world to urgently come to the aid of Somalia, he explained.
Up to 3.7 million Somalis are at risk of starvation, the majority of them in the south of the country, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
US officials say that the famine in Somalia, which has been in a state of anarchy for two decades, has killed more than 29,000 children in the last 90 days.
The UN has declared three new regions in Somalia famine zones, making a total of five regions affected by famine thus far in the country. It had said last month two regions were suffering from famine.
It says 3.2 million are in need of immediate, life-saving assistance. While, UN World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Tarek Jasarevic warned today of the high risk of disease due to the lack of potable water, the living conditions in overcrowded camps and malnutrition. (QNA)
The remarks came during a meeting held by the Council today on the level of permanent representatives under the chairmanship of Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali al Harthy, Sultanate's Ambassador to Egypt and its Permanent Representative to the Arab League, and the presence of the Arab League Secretary General, Nabil Al Araby.
In its closing statement, the Council called on member states to intensify relief efforts, urging them to mobilize the civil society organizations and the private sector to take part in relief operations.
It also stressed the importance of coordinating efforts between the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the African Union (AU) and the and United Nations agencies in order to address the current drought crisis in Somalia, calling for an emergency meeting to mobilize humanitarian support and ensure rapid delivery and distribution of relief aid to drought-affected people.
It urged the Arab League General Secretariat, Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), the Arab Center For The Studies Of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), the Arab Health Ministers Council and the Council of Arab Social Affairs Ministers to intensify cooperation with the UN specialized agencies and related organizations; especially the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to implement an plan of action to address the drought situation in Somalia and the Horn of Africa and its humanitarian consequences and a high-priority plan to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Concluding, the Council decided to hold in September a ministerial level meeting to address Somalia's drought, discuss the latest political developments and evaluate the humanitarian response to the crisis.
The Arab emergency response in Somalia has a positive impact on the Somali people and Government, Al Araby said at a joint news conference with Sultanate's Ambassador to Egypt and its Permanent Representative to the Arab League .
He also hailed the relief flights and convoys led by Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Algeria.
For his part, Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali al Harthy said the Arab League has donated USD 500000 in aid to help Somalia.
Qatar is one of the earliest countries in the world to urgently come to the aid of Somalia, he explained.
Up to 3.7 million Somalis are at risk of starvation, the majority of them in the south of the country, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
US officials say that the famine in Somalia, which has been in a state of anarchy for two decades, has killed more than 29,000 children in the last 90 days.
The UN has declared three new regions in Somalia famine zones, making a total of five regions affected by famine thus far in the country. It had said last month two regions were suffering from famine.
It says 3.2 million are in need of immediate, life-saving assistance. While, UN World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Tarek Jasarevic warned today of the high risk of disease due to the lack of potable water, the living conditions in overcrowded camps and malnutrition. (QNA)
