Brussels, 30/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - The fight against food insecurity, a scourge affecting the whole of the Horn of Africa, will be at the core of the visit of European Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs' visit to Kenya on 1-2 May. During this visit, the commissioner will present Mwai Kibki and members of his government with the EU's initiative on strengthening the capacity of the population in the region and the whole regional economy to recover, following the recent drought. This initiative is also aimed at helping develop a better response to future crises, given that the Horn of Africa is frequently victim to repeated drought.
On Monday, on the day before he left for Kenya, the commissioner stated with regard to the SHARE initiative (Supporting Horn of Africa Resilience): “This initiative aims to break the vicious cycle of crises in the region and ensure that people can better cope with future droughts. The initiative shows the EU's determination to continue the fight against hunger and avoid the suffering of millions of people living in the vulnerable regions of the Horn of Africa. The EU will strengthen its work in the areas of agriculture and food security, by making sure all parts of the chain, from production to sale, are addressed at regional level.” During his meetings, Piebalgs will also look at prospects regarding the forthcoming presidential elections on 4 March 2013, the ongoing reform programme in Kenya and the security question regarding the Horn of Africa. Accompanied by Mohammed Ibrahim Elmi, Minister for Development in the North of Kenya and Other Arid Lands, he will visit several EU funded development cooperation projects in the north-west of the country, a region that has been hard hit by the drought. The visit will include a training project for local community members to carry out social audits of government projects; a visit to Kapua dispensary, which participates in an EU funded safe motherhood project to improve access to maternal health care, and a visit to Lodwar district hospital. The commissioner will also have meetings with Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Finance Minister Robinson Githae. (AN/transl.fl)