APO News from Africa:
Director of Media Affairs Tjiuai Kaambo invited to Germany:
Distributed by APO on behalf of The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany – Windhoek.
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Source: APO – Africa-Newsroom: latest news releases related to Africa
The United States and WFP Support Food-Insecure Populations in Sudan and South Sudan:
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), today welcomed the second of two recent shipments carrying urgently required food assistance for Sudan and South Sudan.
The ships, Maritime Faith and Liberty Grace, docked in Port Sudan and discharged over 47,880 metric tons of sorghum, over 20,000 metric tons of which will be transported through Sudan into South Sudan. In March and April, WFP will receive additional ships carrying 47,500 metric tons of sorghum, more than 5,000 metric tons of lentils and nearly 1,700 metric tons of vegetable oil. The commodities on these ships, also donated by the United States, will feed South Sudanese refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Sudan.
“This food assistance comes at a critical time when continued conflict has resulted in life-threatening hunger in Sudan and famine in South Sudan. The United States and WFP are pleased to be working with the government of Sudan to ensure safe and secure transport of the majority of this assistance to South Sudan,” said US Chargé d’Affaires Steven Koutsis. “We hope to overcome obstacles that impede timely delivery of urgently needed food assistance and urge all parties to allow food and other humanitarian aid to reach those who need it the most.”
The United States continues to be a long-standing partner and the largest single donor to WFP in Sudan, contributing nearly US$ 1 billion to WFP Sudan’s operations since 2012. These contributions of cash and commodities, including U.S.-grown sorghum, lentils, and vegetable oil, donated by the American people, has enabled WFP to provide critical food assistance to severely food-insecure populations in Sudan in a timely and professional manner.
“WFP is grateful to the United States and the American people for their continued support to our operations,” said WFP Sudan Representative Matthew Hollingworth. “The arrival of these two ships could not have been more timely, given the situation in both Sudan and South Sudan. This again proves the generosity of the U.S. Government and its people, who have always been willing to extend a helping hand to those in need of assistance.”
In 2017, WFP plans to assist more than 4 million vulnerable people in Sudan—IDPs, refugees, climate-affected populations, and host communities—through a range of activities, including emergency food aid, cash-based transfers, nutritional support, and resilience-building activities to help communities become independent.
Distributed by APO on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).
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Source: APO – Africa-Newsroom: latest news releases related to Africa
Seychelles has commended SADC for its collective effort in developing the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063 and reiterated that the blue economy has the potential to deepen regional integration. The statement was read on behalf of the Head of State, President Danny Faure, by Secretary of State in the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Barry Faure, at the Lozitha Palace, Swaziland, on 18th March 2017.
The Extraordinary Summit, presided by current SADC chair, H.M King Mswati III, had been called to approve the Costed Action Plan in line with SADC’s decision to prioritize industrialization on the SADC agenda as a vehicle to address economic development and deepen regional integration in the SADC region.
Speaking to the 15-member Southern Africa organization, Ambassador Faure emphasized on the critical need for the Strategy, Roadmap and Action Plan to be ‘owned’ at Member State level and recommended that ‘a real validation process’ is required at national level with ‘the full engagement of all economic actors’. Additionally, he highlighted the need to put in place appropriate governance institutions with the inclusion of the key economic operators. Furthermore, Seychelles stressed the importance of having the right macroeconomic policy environment both at regional level and member state level in order to mobilise financing, investment and innovation into industrialization. “The required resources will not be mobilised without a macroeconomic policy that is favourable, certain, predictable and stable.”
“As much as SADC Member States commit to devise National Indicative Public Coordination Costs, we need to spell out the economic benefits in terms of wealth creation, poverty alleviation, job creation, gender mainstreaming and equity amongst other key indicators which we should set as targets to achieve at the end of the first phase in 2030.” “By focussing on deliverables which have a tangible and early impact on the economy, we shall be creating the conditions to attract early interest, dynamism and investment,” Ambassador Faure stressed in his intervention.
Seychelles also recommended the establishment of necessary and timely progress reporting by Member States to the SADC Secretariat, beginning within six months of the Summit to frontload Member States commitments and to enable proper monitoring and evaluation to take place at the earliest.
Mr. Kenneth Racombo, DG for Development and Regional Integration in Foreign Affairs, Mr. Barry Assary, Director for Policy, Strategy and Research, Mr. Allan Kilindo, Deputy CEO in Industrial Estates Authority and Francesca De Charmoy Lablache, Economist-Development and Regional Integration in Department Foreign Affairs, also participated in the Summit which was preceded by the Council of Ministers and the Senior Officials meetings.
Distributed by APO on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Seychelles.
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Source: APO – Africa-Newsroom: latest news releases related to Africa
