Pretoria - The African Union (AU) on Thursday secured over $351 million in cash and some $28 million in kind at a Pledging Conference for the drought in the Horn of Africa.
The union has organised the first ever pledging conference at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, seeking to fill the financial gap of $1 billion dollars of the $2.4 billion needed to address the current huge humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa.
Four AU Heads of States and senior officials from its member states, as well as heads and representatives of regional organisations and AU partners have been gathered at the conference organised under the theme, "One Africa, One Voice against Hunger."
Countries of the Horn of Africa have been gripped by severe drought and famine - the worst in 60 years, said Jean Ping, AU Commission Chairperson.
He stated that the situation in Somalia has been further compounded by conflict and insecurity, lack of access to affected areas, high food prices, human and livestock diseases.
According to the chairperson, Ethiopia and Kenya have been making huge contributions by opening their doors to Somalis, receiving them in large numbers as they themselves have been affected by the drought.
Jerry John Rawlings, former President of Ghana and AU High Representative for Somalia, said African governments need to contribute at least $50 million urgently to the AU Humanitarian Disaster Fund.
"If we do not act urgently, they face slow, certain death by starvation."
South Africa, which has been providing support to the vulnerable communities in Somalia, was represented at the pledging conference by Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Marius Fransman.
The South African government has responded to the humanitarian crisis confronting the Horn of Africa by raising R8 million towards the famine relief programme. R4 million was donated to the South African NGO, Gift of the Givers, towards transportation and logistical costs of delivering aid to Somalia
Representative from China, Japan, Germany, India, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Venezuela, Azerbaijan, United Arab Emirates and Mexico were among the attendees of the conference and they demonstrated their solidarity with the African people in general and the people in the Horn in particular.
