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Germany to provide 6 million euro to help the needy in Somalia and the Horn of Africa
Germany will make 6 million euro available to national and international aid organizations in order to assist people in urgent need of help in Somalia and the Horn of Africa.
On the sidelines of the Conference on Somalia in London, Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle issued the following statement today (23 February):
“The population of Somalia is in dire need of help due to the political situation and the security vacuum of many years. Germany will not abandon the people in Somalia and the Horn of Africa. We will continue our efforts to find a political solution and, at the same time, provide humanitarian assistance. In order to alleviate the suffering of those most affected, we will make available another 6 million euro and actively work to ensure the safety of aid personnel and humanitarian access to all parts of the country.”
The supported projects focus on assisting internally displaced persons in the Mogadishu area as well as refugees in the camps of Dadaab (Kenya) and Dolo Ado (Ethiopia). The aid is delivered by established humanitarian non-governmental organizations and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as well as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
The humanitarian situation in Somalia and the adjoining regions remains critical. Although the United Nations has declared the acute famine to be over, 2.3 million people in Somalia as well as almost one million Somali refugees in neighbouring countries, especially Kenya and Ethiopia, are still in need of aid.
Humanitarian organizations have no or only limited access to many parts of the country. Germany is therefore pushing for unhindered access for aid workers.
