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Tayo Olanipekun
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Nikki Haley, has said that his his country had so far committed $2.4bn in aids to combat famine in the North-Eastern Nigeria, Yemen,Somalia and South Sudan in 2017.
The sum includes the over $575m that the U.S recently announced at the opening of the U.N.General Assembly as aid to the population affected by food crisis.
Ambassador Haley stated this during his remarks at a UN Security Council meeting on famine and threats to international peace and security on Thursday.
He noted that the main reason the countries face a risk of famine is that fighters are not letting food get to those who need it.
“In some cases, there are reports that warring parties are trying to starve entire communities into submission. It’s horrifying. And it demands this Council’s full and immediate attention,” he added.
Summing up U.S. total contribution to populations affected by famine in the four countries in 2017 to over $2.4 billion, Haley enjoined other countries to emulate the gesture.
“We urge all UN Member States to join us and do their part. But more funding, however necessary, will not be enough.
“The job of this Council is the promotion and maintenance of peace, security, and human rights. Famine prevention is an important part of our mandate. Famine is both the result of the break down in peace, security, and human rights, and the contributor to further violence and insecurity. We request this Council’s sustained attention to this good and necessary work. We ask that we not stop
