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MOGADISHU — The European Union on Friday announced to provide 11 million U.S. dollars to help tackle desert locust outbreak in Somalia.
The EU said the outbreak could have devastating consequences on food security in a vulnerable country like Somalia, where one million people are already severely food insecure and at least 2.8 million are at risk.
“This crisis represents a concrete threat to the food security and livelihood of millions of the Somali people, the EU Ambassador to Somalia Nicolas Berlanga Martinez said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.
Martinez said a timely and coordinated response among aid actors is critical in order to mitigate the effect of the current infestation and prevent further deterioration of the situation.
He said the EU remains committed to support the Somali government to contain the impact of this locust crisis in the Horn of Africa nation.
The EU envoy said the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has formulated a response plan, but Somalia interventions must be rapidly scaled up to support national governments of the affected countries.
“A narrow window of opportunity exists now to contain this disastrous outbreak and protect the livelihoods of millions of vulnerable people across East Africa and beyond,” Martinez said.
According to the EU, the current widespread desert locust infestation is the worst to hit Somalia in decades and poses a greater threat to the country’s fragile food security situation.
FAO said swarms are present and breeding in Somalia’s northeast as well as in the south near the Kenyan border.
Source: Xinhua
