Dialogue eyes food security crisis at Horn of Africa

A high-end dialogue was convened on Thursday in Beijing to help tackle Horn of Africa countries” dire food security crisis driven by factors including conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather events such as floods and droughts.

Wu Peng, Director-General of the Department of African Affairs for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “China, while upholding the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, is always ready to strengthen cooperation with regional countries, the UN development agencies and all international partners who truly care about Africa’s development, and make joint contributions to regional development.”

Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China, in his welcoming remarks, said, “At this critical juncture in history for the countries and people of the Horn of Africa, the Sustainable Development Goals remain an essential blueprint for achieving a more sustainable and just future that leaves no one behind, and international cooperation remains key to implementing that blueprint.”

Abdallah Abdillahi Miguil, Djibouti ambassador to China, said, “The question is how can we embrace cooperation and compromise, rather than maintain the old narrative of conflicts, large-scale displacement, and humanitarian catastrophe.”

The Thursday event was themed “Dialogue on Agricultural Cooperation and Food Security: Toward a more resilient and sustainable Horn of Africa” and was supported by the United Nations development system in China.