US Set to Announce $100M in Somalia Famine Funding

So how come no rich Muslim countries are coming forward to help?

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=14254922

U.S. officials say Washington is set to announce an aid package of about $100 million for relief efforts for the famine that is devastating the Horn of Africa and killing thousands of people.

The announcement, which is expected to take place later Monday, comes the same day that Jill Biden, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, visited the Dadaab refugee camp in eastern Kenya. Tens of thousands of starving Somali refugees have flooded Dadaab in recent weeks.

Also on the trip was the top U.S. aid official, Raj Shah, who said hundreds of thousands of Somali children could die in coming months unless more aid flows to the region.

The officials who confirmed the U.S. aid could not be quoted by name ahead of an announcement expected in Washington.

Re: US Set to Announce $100M in Somalia Famine Funding

Such as the $60 million dollars that His Excellency King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has allocated to immediate famine relief for Somalia? Or the current Somalia Relief campaign organized by the OIC?

Re: US Set to Announce $100M in Somalia Famine Funding

OIC and rest of the Muslim countries should give more than $60 millions. When US, whose ships were attacked and a forces killed (Black Hawk - when the US armed forces went to secure the country for UN aid programs) can give $100 million, the Muslim countries (especially the Saudie and other Gulf States), whose ships were not touched by Somali pirates shoudl be able to give lot more. May be they should send the donations they send to Af-Pak area Talibans.

Re: US Set to Announce $100M in Somalia Famine Funding

Lets hope the aid actually goes to who needs it and not swallowed up by corrupt warlords.

Re: US Set to Announce $100M in Somalia Famine Funding

What are you talking about? Saudi and Gulf ships get hijacked all the time by Somali pirates, and Saudis and Emirates pay millions to release them.

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE6720E820100803

  • Somali pirates and the owners of a Saudi ship held since March with 14 crew said on Tuesday they had agreed to a ransom of around $2-3 million*

This was a saudi ship hijacked 3 years ago, also with a $3 million ransom

Somali pirates have released a United Arab Emirates-flagged oil tanker and its crew just weeks after capturing the vessel in the Indian Ocean.
The MT Jubba XX was seized on July 16 while travelling from the UAE to the port of Berbera in the breakaway northern Somali region of Somaliland.
It was released Thursday after negotiations between the pirates, local officials and businessmen. The amount of ransom paid was unclear.

Next time, you might want to do some research because revealing your ignorance on a public forum.

Or were you lying? Please tell us, which of the following are you for claiming that Saudi and Gulf ships don’t get touched by Somali pirates:
a) a brazen-face liar
b) an ignorant person?

Re: US Set to Announce $100M in Somalia Famine Funding

Agreed I am ignorant on this regard. Saudi ships do get hijacked.

The fact remains, Saudis can give more than they do. It’s not that they can’t afford but they seems to choose wrong causes.

Re: US Set to Announce $100M in Somalia Famine Funding

You took the wind out of my fired-up sails with that admission.

The Saudi government gives to the right places, in general, the problem is wealthy saudi individuals who donate to causes that make trouble in places like Pakistan.