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'Somali famine not taken seriously'
'Somali famine not taken seriously'
Fri Aug 12, 2011 6:31AM GMT
PressTV - 'Somali famine not taken seriously'
Interview with Ayo Johnson, Director of Viewpoint Africa, from London
International community has been criticized for not doing enough to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Africa, as the UN has only received half of the USD 1 billion requested to avoid further worsening of the emergency in Somalia.
Press TV interviewed Ayo Johnson, director of Viewpoint Africa, from London to talk more about this issue.
Press TV:Much feel-good news is coming out as far as pledges from the US, the EU, and even organization's like FIFA go. Even CNN's shown up in Somalia. Will and is any of this actually helping?
Johnson: It will have to, Somalia is desperately crying for help, it has done so for a long time and has not got the help it requires. The volume of aid it requires has not been delivered and many governments around the world have not met their pledges that they have made in terms of aid on the ground.
There is a discord on what is truly needed for Somalia in terms of if more international effort is made here. If there is more consensuses around the world to support Somalia, I think that would be a very good think. It remains to be seen whether this effort that you are talking about is going to be realized.
Press TV:What is still not been highlighted is the ever present background role the AU has taken to a problem it should be leading on. Why?
Johnson: I think the AU like the UN and so many other institutions relies on donor countries and many of the African countries that support the African Union are cash stricken, there is not a lot of energy internationally for Somalia.
The famine as a whole has not been taken seriously internationally as it should. Many major international donors around the world do not have the appetite; the massage from the agencies to the people that should make contributions has not been very good. Many governments have not taken it very seriously we have not seen the outpour we seen in the early 80s when we had the famine in Africa. Clearly this time around the situation is far more serious but governments, institutions, and public at large have not taken this one as serious as they should.
RM/MGH
Fri Aug 12, 2011 6:31AM GMT
PressTV - 'Somali famine not taken seriously'
Interview with Ayo Johnson, Director of Viewpoint Africa, from London
International community has been criticized for not doing enough to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Africa, as the UN has only received half of the USD 1 billion requested to avoid further worsening of the emergency in Somalia.
Press TV interviewed Ayo Johnson, director of Viewpoint Africa, from London to talk more about this issue.
Press TV:Much feel-good news is coming out as far as pledges from the US, the EU, and even organization's like FIFA go. Even CNN's shown up in Somalia. Will and is any of this actually helping?
Johnson: It will have to, Somalia is desperately crying for help, it has done so for a long time and has not got the help it requires. The volume of aid it requires has not been delivered and many governments around the world have not met their pledges that they have made in terms of aid on the ground.
There is a discord on what is truly needed for Somalia in terms of if more international effort is made here. If there is more consensuses around the world to support Somalia, I think that would be a very good think. It remains to be seen whether this effort that you are talking about is going to be realized.
Press TV:What is still not been highlighted is the ever present background role the AU has taken to a problem it should be leading on. Why?
Johnson: I think the AU like the UN and so many other institutions relies on donor countries and many of the African countries that support the African Union are cash stricken, there is not a lot of energy internationally for Somalia.
The famine as a whole has not been taken seriously internationally as it should. Many major international donors around the world do not have the appetite; the massage from the agencies to the people that should make contributions has not been very good. Many governments have not taken it very seriously we have not seen the outpour we seen in the early 80s when we had the famine in Africa. Clearly this time around the situation is far more serious but governments, institutions, and public at large have not taken this one as serious as they should.
RM/MGH