Brussels, 24/08/2011 (Agence Europe) - International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva will represent the European Union at the international donors' conference on the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa, organised by the African Union (AU) in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, where the AU is headquartered.
The conference aims to gather the money needed to check the humanitarian crisis which threatens 12 million people with famine, according to United Nations estimates. It will allow the commissioner to provide details for the international community of assistance given by the EU, the largest donor in this crisis, contributing more than €596 million, with €160 million coming from the Commission. Georgieva will also argue for better coordination among donors and will call for the commitment of African governments to take their share of responsibility in solving the crisis and addressing its root causes. Among the many factors combining to bring about this crisis are market access, food prices, poor infrastructure, conflict and climate change. The conference will give the commissioner the opportunity to hold bilateral talks with Jean Ping, President of the Commission of the African Union, Meles Zenawi, Ethiopian Prime Minister and Ali Mohamed Abdiweli, Prime Minister of Somalia, the Commission spokesman said on Wednesday.
The previous day, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton urged donors to show generosity highlighting what was at stake for the conference. “Faced with the worst droughts in 60 years, over 12 million people in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti are in urgent need of food, water and shelter. The situation is grave, and it is a moral obligation of the international community to offer its help. The EU is determined to do so and is using the full range of support it can offer … and calls on those attending the AU international pledging conference in Addis Ababa on 25 August 2011 to continue to do likewise”, she says in a press release.
She adds that the EU has raised its humanitarian commitment from €97 million to €158 million in 2011, while its individual member states have made available a further €440 million. “This money has provided food as well as healthcare, water and sanitation facilities. Assistance has been delivered throughout the region, in Somalia itself, and in refugee camps such as Dadaab in Kenya”, and more than €680 million has been committed in the areas of agriculture, rural development and food security, Ashton states. “The EU remains convinced that stability and good governance are pre-conditions to sustainable development and the well-being of the peoples of Africa. It will continue to support programmes designed to strengthen the rule of law, and build the role of young people and NGOs. The EU will step up its policy dialogues with African partners to mitigate the adverse effects of droughts and build resilience through better management and improved governance.” (A.N./transl.rt)