FAO urges Kuwait, GCC states to urgently send aid to Somalia

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) urged GCC states namely Kuwait to contribute to an urgent relief program for relieving natives of Somalia who have been suffering from drought. Living conditions resulting from drought in the African Horn namely Somalia have deteriorated, particularly in southern regions where three million people are suffering from famine, and fighting is obstructing relief operations for the natives, said Cristina Amaral, the FAO Chief of Emergency Operations, in an interview with KUNA. Amaral, who visited the stricken regions last March, said the conditions require immediate and speedy intervention by the relief agencies to deal with the humanitarian catastrophe. FAO has made several appeals for help, since last October, however there has been no sufficient action in response, she said. She indicated that the organization had successfully helped Ethiopia and Kenya to stockpile on basic food, thus averting a crisis such as the one in Somalia, where the governing institutions are not sufficiently effective, Amaral said. FAO looks forward to huge aid from the GCC states namely the State of Kuwait to salvage hundreds of thousands of souls from death, she said, indicating that she was making the urgent call on the Gulf states to help in light of slow response from other financially-capable nations. Amaral re-affirmed that she was looking forward to see hasty action from Kuwait and the other states of the Gulf region, noting that her call coincided with the Holy Month of Ramadan. FAO's concern is particularly centered on destiny of millions of people in the south of Somalia, she said, indicating at difficulties of reaching many of the famine victims in remote areas.