The Horn of Africa Disaster Resilience and
Sustainability Initiative
ENDING DROUGHT EMERGENCIES IN THE HORN OF AFRICA
IGAD-Partners Consultative Meeting
15-16, November 2011, Kempinski Palace Hotel, Djibouti
PRESS RELEASE
The IGAD Executive Secretary, H.E. Mahboub Maalim on 15-16 November 2011 convened in Dji-bouti a crucial consultative meeting of bilateral and multilateral donors and development part-ners under the banner ENDING DROUGHT EMERGENCIES IN THE HORN OF AFRICA. This is an initiative launched in September 2011 in Nairobi by a summit of regional heads of state and government in response to the current severe drought and food crisis that has left 13 million people in need of relief assistance.
The objective of the meeting was to forge a common understanding of the Initiative – its origins, vision, issues and challenges and potential areas of short and long-term intervention, currently and potentially available sources of funding and agree on institutional arrangements for implementing the Initiative. The meeting bringing together 65 participants from 25 donor and partner agencies/institutions examined and discussed institutional arrangements, coordination by IGAD and funding arrangements for the Initiative.
Analysis of available financial resources for starting the implementation of the Initiative revealed that there was over US$ 1 billion for the first 3-4 years and US$ 2 billion for 15 years of building drought resilience. The participants resolved to enhance partnership and shore up investments in short- and long-term drought/disaster preparedness interventions at the regional and national levels and to build sustained resilience of the vulnerable communities especially in the drylands.
Having considered all issues and needs pertaining to the Initiative, the meeting agreed to the formation of an IGAD Platform, whose terms of reference, structure and membership will be developed by IGAD as soon as possible in order to have the platform in place by mid December 2011.
The Partners further agreed to move as fast as their institutions can allow, with IGAD providing overall coordination and dissemination of information through the IGAD Platform. IGAD will be reporting to its Policy Organs and to the Partners on a quarterly basis. FAO support to the development of an IGAD Regional CAADP and the AfDB project identification process already underway will continue unhindered with the participation of the IGAD Platform members as and when required.
The meeting was opened at the Kempinski Djibouti Palace Hotel on 15 November 2011 by Mr. Mohamed Ali Hassan Mohamed, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Djibouti on behalf of his Minister, H.E. Mr Mahamoud Ali Youssouf. Mr. Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission closed the meeting on 16 No-vember 2011.
Other earlier partner engagements in response to the current drought in the Horn of Africa in-clude the AU Pledging Conference of 25 August 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the joint IGAD-African Development Bank workshop on livestock development and drought preparedness in the Horn of Africa held in Djibouti on 14-15 November 2011.
