The statement was delivered by Qatar's Permanent Representative to the UN HE Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani during the high-level pledging event for the humanitarian response in the Horn of Africa, specifically in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, at the UN headquarters in New York.
HE Sheikha Alya reiterated Qatar's firm commitment to solidarity with the peoples of the Horn of Africa, and urged all member states to respond to the unprecedented drought hitting the Horn of Africa, as part of the commitment to address the urgent humanitarian needs in the region.
She pointed out that Qatar is honoured to participate in the event with the UN, Italy, the US and the UK, in co-operation with the governments of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, in order to respond to an urgent appeal for humanitarian assistance from the peoples of the Horn of Africa.
According to UN agencies, more than 32mn people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are acutely food insecure, and more than 43mn people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance this year, including more than 8mn children and pregnant woman facing acute malnutrition, HE Sheikha Alya said.
Unfortunately, the funding of the Humanitarian Response Plan 2023 so far is insufficient, and therefore, it is necessary for the international community to take decisive action to address this crisis, she said.
HE Sheikha Alya said that at the high-level event Responding to the Urgent Humanitarian Needs in the Horn of Africa, Qatar has pledged $12mn in humanitarian aid.
In implementation of this pledge, Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and Qatar Charity has launched an urgent response project to help those affected by the drought in Somalia, she added.
HE Sheikha Alya noted that QFFD is funding the second phase of the "Building Resilient Communities in Somalia" project (BRCIS) in co-operation with the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Somalia.
She explained that the project aims to enhance the delivery of humanitarian aid to rural communities in Somalia, especially those most vulnerable to disasters, pointing out that this will be achieved by providing multi-sectoral assistance to 594,618 beneficiaries over six months.
She said QFFD is currently finalising a $12mn joint project with USAID and Unicef in Somalia, in which QFFD and USAID have contributed $6mn each. The joint effort aims to meet the urgent needs arising from the outbreak of measles and cholera in Somalia, with a focus on bridging gaps in the health, water, sanitation and security sectors, which suffer from a lack of necessary support as outlined in the Humanitarian Response Plan 2023.
She indicated that the Education Above All Foundation (EAA) is implementing joint projects to provide quality education for 7.5mn out-of-school children and youth in Africa, with the total budget for these projects amounting to $1.2bn.
The contributions of the Education Above All Foundation amounts to more than $542mn, she added.
HE Sheikha Alya said that in partnership with Save the Children and Plan International — Niger, EAA Foundation will implement projects aimed at providing education to "177,199" children in Africa, with a total budget of about $60mn for these projects, of which the Education Above All Foundation contributed about $30mn.
Source: gulf-times
