THT- Vice President H.E. Abdirahman Abdilahi Ismail Saylici, who is the Chairman of the National Drought Committee, received a food donation yesterday from the ambassador of Taiwan, Ambassador Allen C. Lou.
This donation of 300 tons of rice will be delivered to people affected by drought in the country’s regions.
The chairman of the Disaster Preparedness Agency and the Food Reserve Authority, Faisal Ali Sheikh, who spoke at the event, stated that they will deliver to the people affected by the drought, and he said,
“This rice donation that we took over from the government of Taiwan will be delivered to the communities affected by the drought, while the remaining items will be added by the government.” He said, Chairman Faisal.
He said that the government has prepared ways to deliver aid to the people affected by the drought, and in the past, different food items have been distributed to the people affected by the drought.
Faisal added that Taiwan does not only donate food but also supports Somaliland in the fields of health, water, and other areas.
Ambassador of Taiwan Mr. Allen C. Lou handed over 300 tons of rice to Vice President Md. Abdirahman Abdilahi Ismail Saylici, who is the Chairman of the National Drought Committee, said that it will benefit the poor people affected by the drought.
Press Release;
Ambassador Allen C. Lou of the Taiwan Representative Office in the Republic of Somaliland hands over 300 tons of rice from Taiwan to H.E. Abdirahman Abdullahi Ismail Saylici, Vice President of the Republic of Somaliland and Chairman of National Drought Committee on 28th September 2022 to benefit the people in need affected by the severe drought.
According to the UN agencies, Horn of Africa countries are facing longest drought in over 40 years which is pushing people “to the brink of starvation”; “Hundreds of thousands are already facing starvation today with staggering levels of malnutrition expected among children under five”; “Large-scale deaths from hunger” are increasingly likely”, “as many as four children or two adults per 10,000 people, will die every day”. “Without a massively scaled-up humanitarian response, the situation will likely worsen in many countries in the coming months”. And “Humanitarian assistance is crucial to save lives and prevent starvation, death and the total collapse of livelihoods”.
To echo UN’s and Somaliland President H. E. Muse Bihi Abdi’s appeals to the international community, Taiwan provided USD 500,000 in February this year. Taiwan today further donates 300 tons of rice to Somaliland National Drought and Rescue Committee to mitigate the drought impact. These 300 tons of rice are sufficient to feed 10,000 families for a whole month.
Taiwan’s support today is “throwing a jade to attract more jades”. It is expected that more and more countries and international organizations will respond with timely supports.
Just as the theme of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges” pointedly reminds us of the grave challenges facing the international community, especially Somaliland: the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and food shortage. Under the belief of “Care, sympathy and empathy transcend borders” and as a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan has proved to be a reliable and indispensable partner, and the people of Taiwan stand ready to contribute. Let’s work together as one for the global good!