EU pledges more food to famine areas
Aug 04, 2009
THE European Commission will provide food relief to the hunger-stricken people in Teso and Acholi sub-regions The head of the European Union (EU) delegation in Kampala, Ambassador Vincent De Visscher on Friday announced that the commission had got funds t
By Madinah Tebajjukira
THE European Commission will provide food relief to the hunger-stricken people in Teso and Acholi sub-regions The head of the European Union (EU) delegation in Kampala, Ambassador Vincent De Visscher on Friday announced that the commission had got funds to help the famine areas and the internally displaced persons who are returning home.
The project, De Visscher said, would target 600,000 people who were identified in a survey conducted by the World Food Programme and the Prime Minister’s office.
Addressing a press conference at the EU office in Kampala on Friday, De Visscher explained that the commission would also distribute seeds for planting in Teso and Acholi.
“Responding to the fragile situation in northern Uganda and taking into account the precarious situation of returning IDPs back home, the EU is mobilising substantial funding out of its humanitarian assistance instrument to help the affected people,†De Visscher said.
“This assistance is carefully designed to target the affected areas and the people in need and to avoid negative impacts on the agricultural recovery,†he added.
Jose Soler, the commission’s first counsellor, said they planned to spend between 4-5m euros (about sh12b) on the six-month project.
Disaster and preparedness minister Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere attended the press conference. He commended the EU for helping the Government to addressthe food shortage.
He said his office was monitoring the distribution of food, adding that soon he would brief Parliament on the situation in the region.
He urged leaders to mobilise the public to double food production and to avoid selling all their produce to neighbouring countries.
THE European Commission will provide food relief to the hunger-stricken people in Teso and Acholi sub-regions The head of the European Union (EU) delegation in Kampala, Ambassador Vincent De Visscher on Friday announced that the commission had got funds to help the famine areas and the internally displaced persons who are returning home.
The project, De Visscher said, would target 600,000 people who were identified in a survey conducted by the World Food Programme and the Prime Minister’s office.
Addressing a press conference at the EU office in Kampala on Friday, De Visscher explained that the commission would also distribute seeds for planting in Teso and Acholi.
“Responding to the fragile situation in northern Uganda and taking into account the precarious situation of returning IDPs back home, the EU is mobilising substantial funding out of its humanitarian assistance instrument to help the affected people,†De Visscher said.
“This assistance is carefully designed to target the affected areas and the people in need and to avoid negative impacts on the agricultural recovery,†he added.
Jose Soler, the commission’s first counsellor, said they planned to spend between 4-5m euros (about sh12b) on the six-month project.
Disaster and preparedness minister Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere attended the press conference. He commended the EU for helping the Government to addressthe food shortage.
He said his office was monitoring the distribution of food, adding that soon he would brief Parliament on the situation in the region.
He urged leaders to mobilise the public to double food production and to avoid selling all their produce to neighbouring countries.