#Headlines

Our people need us – Tangara tells AU Summit on humanitarian matters

May 27, 2022, 10:46 AM

“Our people need us now more than ever as we continue to face what seems like a never-ending cycle of challenges. We cannot turn a blind eye nor deny the heavy impact of the rise in terrorism, and violent extremism. Societal conflicts and the presence of banditry within the regions are also causing our people to flee away from their homes, and unless there is a collective effort, this unfortunate circumstance will remain,” says Dr. Mamadou Tangara as he addresses the AU Summit on humanitarian matters and pledging conference in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

“It is noteworthy to highlight that our continent as a whole has more than 30 million Internally Displaced Persons, refugees, and asylum seekers. This vast number continues to rise due to the ongoing shocks, hardships, and conflicts that the African people continue to face.”

“Additionally, food insecurity, limiting basic social services, has resulted in malnutrition for a lot of individuals across our continent which has become a challenge. The human rights violations, gender-based violence, and violence against women and children are further increasing. There is a need to put forth mechanisms that will protect these vulnerable groups.”

“As we work towards mitigating the factors impacting our humanitarian situation, there is an urgent need in closing the funding gap as the humanitarian response plans are being hampered by dwindling funding avenues. Solutions need to be outlined to acquire adequate funding for the humanitarian needs as the trajectory of the crisis and the severity of suffering are real.”

“Our collective generosity should stem all these sufferings and help communities build their resilience for the future.”