US offers USD 14.5 mln in humanitarian aid for Somali

WASHINGTON, May 27 (KUNA) -- US approves USD 14.5 million in humanitarian aid and food donations for drought-stricken Somalia, the State department confirmed Friday.
The State department confirmed USD 14.5 million contribution to the World Food Program to benefit Somalia in need of food assistance, as the impoverished, war-torn nation battles with the worst drought in recent memory.
The US is also staging approximately 19,000 metric tons of food aid in its prepositioning sites worldwide, in order to brace for additional emergency food assistance in the weeks and months to come, according to State department spokesman Mark Toner, in a press briefing.
Recently, the United States Agency for International Development Assistance Administration (USAID) officials and government officials returned from a visit to Hargeisa, Somalia to assess the situation there.
The announcement came as the United Nations relief agency announced a 60 percent cut in the daily food aid to one million Somali refugees do to a funding shortfall. Other relief agencies are scrambling to find enough assistance to feed the scores of Somalis in need. (end) hy.bs KUNA 272207 May 11NNNN