CAIRO: The Arab League issued a statement on Tuesday promising funds for humanitarian aid and encouraging Arab states to support Somalia. Following an appeal by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, countries and international organizations worldwide are pledging aid to the famine-stricken regions of Somalia. “The Arab League urgently calls for all Arab countries, Arab organizations, the Arab Red Crescent, Arab civil society organizations, and the Arab private sector to mobilize their energies and capabilities to rescue those affected by the drought in Somalia,” the organization said in a posting on their Facebook page. The League, which affirmed its solidarity with the people of Somalia, will use its missions in Mogadishu and Nairobi to provide relief, food, water, and medicine to those in need. The Food and Agriculture Organization officially declared a state of famine on Wednesday in Somalia. “Famine in Somalia has killed tens of thousands of people in recent months and could grow even worse unless urgent action is taken,” the FAO's website said. The FAO called for an additional $120 million in support of East Africa, with $70 million going to Somalia and $50 million going to the neighboring countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, and Uganda. Al-Shabab insurgents, who have a controlling presence in the region, have made humanitarian aid difficult. The group, which banished many aid workers from their territories in 2009, has promised limited access. Nabil Al-Araby, secretary general of the Arab League, appealed to the Somali parties such as Al-Shabab to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.
