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UN calls for $232 mln in aid for West Africa

30 November 2010 18:00 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The United Nations on Monday launched an appeal for 252 million dollars (193 million euros) in international aid to respond to the urgent needs of some 32 million West Africans in 2011, APA reports quoting news.yahoo.com website.
The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Dakar appealed for assistance to meet food, water and health needs in the region, in the presence of the World Food Programme, Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
A presentation by OCHA’s communications chief Yvon Edoumou showed the amount of 252 million dollars was less than the 774 million US dollars requested for 2010 - of which only 49 percent had been raised.
"Niger, which formed a large part of this budget, is not included in the appeal for funds for 2011," said Edoumou. An FAO official indicated this drought-stricken country would be the subject of a "specific request for funds."
In a communique, OCHA’s deputy head in West Africa Noel Tsekoura said: "Humanitarian action remains an important element of human security for thousands of households in West Africa.
"By investing in humanitarian action, we help break the cycle of recurring crises that weakens the already vulnerable communities and contributes to delaying development efforts in the long term."
The funds requested will enable the implementation of 113 projects by the UN and non-governmental organisations in the following west African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.