PRESS STATEMENT:
U.S. Donates
$500K to Gambia food security
The
Embassy of the United States of America, Banjul in partnership with USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance
(OFDA) is pleased to announce that the United States is providing
$500,000 to address food insecurity concerns across the Gambia.
Crop
failure, poor rains and increased food prices prompted Ambassador Pamela White
to declare a disaster emergency for The Gambia on May 8, 2012. A USAID
humanitarian team recently conducted an assessment in country and found that
many families have already depleted their household food stocks, triggering the
start of the lean season two to three months earlier than normal. In addition,
decreased crop production prevented farmers from collecting the seeds needed
for the upcoming planting season.
The
funds provided by the U.S. Embassy in Banjul will help provide seeds and
fertilizer needed to improve the chances of a successful 2012 harvest. The UN
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will use the money to purchase 100
metric tons of certified quality groundnut seeds from Kano, Nigeria. The
FAO in collaboration with Ministry of Agriculture and National Disaster
Management Agency plans to distribute the seeds by June 15th.
Without assistance, farmers would have lacked the resources to plant crops
during the June-to-October rainy season.
Ambassador
White is extremely pleased that the United States of America is able to provide
much needed resources to address the dire food situation that faces The Gambia.
The American people truly do care about the health and welfare of Gambians.
The
U.S. government is committed to helping people in the Sahel break the cycle of
drought, hunger and malnutrition by supporting programs that build resilience
in their community. This year alone, the U.S. has provided more than $218
million in humanitarian assistance to the region
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