Monday, August 22, 2011
"The United Nations World Food Programme welcomes a generous contribution of US$50 million from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia... that will be used to feed more than half a million Somalia children suffering from malnutrition," it said.
The contribution in response to a WFP appeal for funds "will help us save the lives of thousands of children before they fall into severe stages of malnutrition, at which point it would become impossible to keep them alive," said WFP executive director Josette Sheeran.
The Saudi donation will be specifically used to feed 600,000 children for two months, the statement said.
Somalia has been the worst hit of several countries in East Africa affected by what the United Nations has described as the region's most severe drought in 60 years.
The WFP said it was targeting food assistance to some 1.5 million people in central and northern Somalia and Mogadishu" and was ready to try to reach an additional 2.2 million people in southern parts of the country.
But the UN agency warned its Horn of Africa appeal was still $250 million short.
Source: AFP