Rice Announces Nearly $17 Million In Initial US Aid To Somalia

Stephen Kaufman

WASHINGTON, DC, 5 Jan. 2007-- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that the United States is providing $16.575 million as an initial "robust" response to meet humanitarian needs in Somalia following the re-establishment of control over the country by the Transitional Federal Institutions.

In a January 4 statement, Rice said Somalia has a "historic opportunity to begin to move beyond two decades of warlordism, extreme violence and humanitarian suffering" and called on the international community to join the United States in supporting humanitarian and reconciliation efforts.

As an initial response to meet humanitarian needs, the secretary said, the United States is providing $11.5 million in food aid that will be distributed through the World Food Programme. Also, $1.5 million in nonfood assistance is being given through UNICEF, and $3.575 million is being provided through the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and its implementing partners for assistance to Somali refugees.

"These resources will help an additional 18,000 people displaced by recent floods and conflict," Rice said. "We intend to seek additional substantial assistance to help Somalia with humanitarian, security and reconstruction efforts."

Jendayi Frazer, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, will be meeting with Somali and regional representatives "to urge inclusive political dialogue, reconciliation to build a legitimate, functioning government that will serve all Somalis, and to move forward with the urgent deployment of a regional stabilization force," Rice said.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), said in a January 4 fact sheet that a disaster assistance response team is currently in Nairobi, Kenya, monitoring humanitarian needs and coordinating the U.S. humanitarian response.

The total amount of U.S. humanitarian assistance committed to Somalia in the 2006 and 2007 fiscal years exceeds $95 million, USAID said.

Through eight implementing partners, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance is carrying out emergency humanitarian interventions in Somalia, "including health, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene, agriculture and food security programs benefiting more than 2 million people," according to the fact sheet.

USAID also called on private U.S. donors to make cash contributions to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations.

(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)