MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Hunt
The Australian Government will provide $3 million to deliver food and essential health services in the conflict-ravaged African nations of Uganda and Somalia.
Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Greg Hunt, today announced $2 million would go towards emergency food aid for about 1.3 million internally displaced people in Uganda.
'The vast majority of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Uganda are women and children in the north of the country,' Mr Hunt said.
'Australia will work with the World Food Programme which is coordinating the food aid efforts in the strife-torn region.
'The additional $2 million for Uganda follows Australia's donation of $1 million for the protection of women and children displaced by conflict, which I announced in April.'
Mr Hunt said that years of conflict and a prolonged drought in Somalia have left 1.8 million people in need of life saving health services.
'We will provide $1 million towards efforts to reduce deaths from infectious diseases in the African nation,' Mr Hunt said.
'We will be working to support people in internally displaced persons camps and among other vulnerable populations recovering from the prolonged drought.
'The program will increase vaccinations and access to vitamin A supplements to 1.8 million people.
'It will also provide medicines to combat acute respiratory infection, diarrhoea-related diseases and measles, as well as for health clinics and maternal child health centres.'
The efforts will be delivered through a joint World Health Organisation and UNICEF program.
Mr Hunt said Australia will continue to monitor humanitarian conditions throughout Africa and respond to priority needs in coordination with other donors.
Media contacts:
John Deller (Mr Hunt's office) on 0400 496 596
AusAID (Public Affairs) on 0417 680 590