Persberichten
Het Internationale Rode Kruis lanceert 5 jaren plan voor voedselveiligheid
in Afrika
Het Internationale Rode Kruis lanceert een 5-jaren plan voor meer
voedselzekerheid in 15 Afrikaanse landen. De organisatie hoopt door
lange termijn investeringen te doen, kwetsbare mensen weerbaarder te
maken tegen voedselonzekerheid. Het geld wordt besteed aan het
ontwikkelen van voedsel zekerheidprogramma's, zoals
microfinancieringen, duurzame landbouw en monitoring systemen. Het
Rode Kruis hoopt met deze strategie een krachtig antwoord te geven op
de huidige wereldwijde hoge voedsel- en olieprijzen. De huidige
prijzen hebben vooral zijn weerslag op de meest kwetsbaren.
International Federation launches new five-year food security strategy
in Africa focussing on long-term investments
Investing in long-term food security projects in Africa is key to
fight some of the root causes of hunger and malnutrition, says the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as it
launches a new five-year strategy to scale up food security programmes
in 15 African countries. The new plan, announced today in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, will be financed through an appeal for 45 million Swiss
francs (US$ 43.5 million / ⬠28.5 million) over the next five years.
The funds will be used to assist some 2.25 million people, or nearly
half a million families.
More than 80 per cent of this budget will go directly to country
level programming. It includes improving the capacities of National
Red Cross and Red Crescent societies to further develop food security
programmes such as sustainable farming (including activities such as
the use of appropriate technologies, seed banks and soil nutrient
management), microfinance projects, small-scale irrigation schemes and
the establishment of community-based food security monitoring systems.
"Despite the fact the international community committed itself to
drastically cut food insecurity through the Millenium Development
Goals, malnutrition is currently on the rise in Africa and throughout
the world, fuelled by the combined effects of poverty, HIV, climate
change, conflicts and the huge increase in population growth so there
is a need to act now," says Ibrahim Osman, deputy secretary general of
the International Federation.
"Our objective is to fight this trend by significantly scaling up Red
Cross and Red Crescent community-based food security programmes in
Africa over the next five years, reaching at least 20 per cent of the
most vulnerable populations, strengthening their resilience and coping
mechanisms," adds Mohammed Mukhier, Head of the Policy and
Preparedness Department at the International Federation.
To increase their efficiency, long-term food security programmes will
be integrated with existing community-based healthcare projects -
especially HIV - and water and sanitation programmes. "Along with
helping the most vulnerable to meet their immediate basic needs for
food, we believe that long-lasting solutions to fight hunger in Africa
can only be found through a clear focus on long term investments both
in terms of technical support to local staff and volunteers and
through better support and protection for local communities and their
livelihoods," says Mija Ververs, Senior Officer for food security and
nutrition at the International Federation in Geneva.
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Burkina-Faso, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania,
Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda and Zambia are
participating in the programme.
Het Nederlandse Rode Kruis