Brussels, 06/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - Somalia, including the Republic of Somaliland, may receive further aid of €175 million from the EU to promote stability and regional cooperation in the Horn of Africa. On an official visit to Somalia, Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs made the announcement at the parliament of Somaliland (a country which is not recognised by the international community as an independent state) on Wednesday 6 July after meeting President Ahmed Mohamed Mahamoud Silanyo. On the same day, 6 July, the European Commission announced in Brussels that it was making €5.7 million in additional emergency humanitarian aid available immediately to help meet the needs of the influx of refugees from the Horn of Africa into the Dadaab camps in Kenya, which currently provide refuge to some 370,000 souls, including over 61,000 Somalis who have arrived since the start of the year.
Support for stability. In his speech to the House of Representatives in Hargeisa, Piebalgs praised the example of stability and democracy shown by Somaliland and hoped that this example would spread throughout the Horn of Africa. “The European Union welcomes the contribution that Somaliland is making to peace and good governance in the region. It is an encouraging example of peace, democracy and stability. This is why we will invest additional development funds as security and the socio-political conditions favour sustainable development”, he said. He also encouraged Somaliland to stay engaged in international efforts to curb piracy. In the meetings he held with members of civil society, the commissioner reiterated the importance of the European Union's engagement with non-state actors - including civil society and the private sector and commended the constructive role played by the Somaliland diaspora
Emergency funding. The €5.7 million released by the Commission to help refugees who have fled drought, hunger and conflict, will help provide food for the most vulnerable, treatment for under-nourished children, protection for livestock and water. “Severe drought is making tough living conditions unbearable. We are acting today to respond to one of the most urgent problems, but we are preparing to commit more resources to the relief operation”, said European International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva in a press release. More than 10 million people live in need of emergency aid in drought-affected areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti. (A.N./transl.rt)