Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations
has urgently appealed for a sum of $50 million, about N7.882 billion in order
to assist funding gap for priority agricultural and pastoral activities to be
carried out in the Horn of Africa.
FAO revealed to NaijaAgroNet in a press statement that the fund is
necessary to execute a 90day plan aim at giving farmers and pastoralists the chances
to improve their livelihoods and build resilience to any future shocks.
Commenting on the issue, FAO's Sub-regional Coordinator for
Eastern Africa, Castro Camarada said the international community needs to
continue to support the most vulnerable households in Somalia and other arid
and semi-arid lands in the Horn of Africa to cope with another possible dry
spell.
NaijaAgroNet
also gathered that some activities like crop and livestock production, and
cash-for-work programmes are already ongoing and need improvement.
According to FAO, although the situation in the
drought-affected areas of the Horn of Africa has improved significantly in
recent months it is estimated 8.1 million people there are still in need of
assistance (Ethiopia: 3.2 million; Kenya: 2.2 million; Somalia: 2.5 million;
Djibouti 180 000).
Distributions of crop and vegetable seeds form part of the
urgent activities planned for the region, and helping implement small-scale
irrigation schemes and running cash-for-work activities in order to restore
vital agricultural infrastructure.
Despite an end of famine conditions declared a month ago in
Somalia, over 2.5 million are still facing food crisis; unable to fully meet
essential food and non-food needs, majority of which reside in the southern
regions.
NaijaAgroNet
further gathered that José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director General on his visit
to Somalia recently pledged that the organization will continue to increase its
efforts in the region. He also stressed the importance of continued and
coordinated actions to build up the resilience of local populations and link
relief with development.
"We can't avoid droughts, but we can put
measures in place to try to prevent them from becoming a famine" José
Graziano da Silva affirmed.
Yinka Awosanya
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology
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