Botswana sends aid to starving Somalis

Botswana has dispatched a consignment of locally produced food and blankets to hunger-stricken and war-ravaged Somali refugees in Kenya, a diplomat confirmed Monday.
About 3.7 million Somalis – or more than a third of the country’s population – require food aid due to drought, according to the UN World Food Programme.

Botswana has donated about 131 tonnes of food to Somalia refugees in Kenya, said Ms Tuelonyana Ditlhabi Oliphant, Botswana’s High Commissioner to Zambia.

“(This second) consignment consists of locally produced foodstuffs such as mealie meal, sorghum, beef, cooking oil, beans and some blankets,” said Ms Oliphant in the Zambian capital Lusaka on Monday after inspecting the consignment that is being transported by road through Zambia and Tanzania en route to Kenya.

Arrive in Kenya

The consignment is worth $100,000 and it is expected to arrive in Kenya by Wednesday, the envoy said.

Botswana’s donation is in response to UN’s appeal for relief aid to Somali refugees in Kenya, said Ms Oliphant.

Zambia, which recorded a historic three-million metric tonnes bumper maize harvest with some produce reportedly rotting this year, has initiated an appeal for its nationals to donate to starving Somalis.

At least 12.4 million people in drought-hit horn of Africa –Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya and Uganda – urgently require food aid to survive starvation.