Kuwait, GCC were ''generous'' in Somalia

Kuwait and GCC countries have been extremely generous when it came to offering financial support to the famine relief efforts in Somalia, the UN's Undersecretary General and Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC) Valerie Amos said here Tuesday. "His Highness the Amir of Kuwait had really led the call of providing financial support with his personal USD one million," she said, adding that the rest of Kuwait followed suit, making itself of the leading donors. "Part of the purpose of the visit is to thank peoples and governments for the support they've giving us and shed more light on the situation in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa," Amos told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). "Some 13 million people are hit by famine in the Horn of Africa, four million of which are in Somalia, scattered over seven regions," she noted. Amos's remarks came on the sideline of the Second Annual Workshop on Information Sharing for Better Humanitarian Action. The two-day event, which kicked off earlier today under the auspice of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, is organized by United Nation's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and in cooperation with the International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) and Direct Aid. "Within Somalia, the security situation in the capital Mogadishu remains extremely fragile. I was there about three or four weeks ago and saw large numbers of people moving in Mogadishu for food and aid. "I was shocked to see the level of malnutrition in children. We're facing enormous challenges, as the problem was not only the lack of food, but also lack of other services, like healthcare and shelter. "With al-Shabaab movement controlling a number of major areas, they banned some aid agencies, like the UN's World Food Programme, from practicing their activities," Amos, who for the last 30 years was active on the promotion of human rights, social justice and equality on the African continent, pointed out. Al-Shabaab is a group of Islamist militants fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia. As of 2011, the group controls large swathes of the southern parts of Somalia, where it is said to have imposed its own strict form of Sharia law. "A number of Islamic charitable organizations have been operating in Somalia for a long time, and were able to get to some parts of Somalia that some UN agencies couldn't. So, their contribution have been 'invaluable'," she stressed. On other roles Kuwait and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries can play beside being financially supportive, Amos told KUNA "on the political side, these countries can always operate within their UN memberships in a bid to help come up with a resolution to the situation in 'complicated' Somalia." At the conference opening, Amos said "effective partnership means working closely together to identify needs and determine ways to best meet them for the benefit of the affected communities." She carried on saying "Kuwait has provided excellent leadership and built on the outstanding start made by Oman, which hosted the meeting that established the Regional Humanitarian Information Network." As a Minister in the British Government, Amos worked with colleagues globally to tackle poverty in Africa by increasing aid flows through debt relief initiatives and promoting private-sector investment on the continent. On his part, Advisor to HH the Amir and IICO Chairman Dr. Abdullah Al-Maatouq said "Information sharing is extremely vital for humanitarian action. It guarantees better coordination and more effective response and helps overcome the risk of duplicating relief efforts." During the workshop, participants from the United Nations, government entities and various local, regional and international organizations discussed information sharing and ways of strengthening partnerships between humanitarian bodies. Some of the most prominent dignitaries that took part in the opening session included GCC Secretary General Dr. Abdulattif Al-Zayani, Plenipotentiary Minister, Director of the Department of Health and Humanitarian Assistance at Arab League Ambassador Laila Najm and Assistant Secretary General and Spokesman of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ambassador Atta Al Mannane Bakhit. Participating countries include GCC Member States, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Ethiopia.