Egypt’s mission to the United Nations has organized a high-level meeting to maintain food security in Africa in light of the new coronavirus outbreak, the country’s Foreign Ministry announced.
In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry said the meeting was held via videoconference, in collaboration with the UN missions of Canada, Italy and Brazil, to tackle the impact of the new coronavirus pandemic on Africa.
It was also attended by President of the UN General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed and senior officials from Canada, Italy, and Brazil.
Representatives from the UN World Food Program (WFP), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) also took part in the virtual meeting.
Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the UN Mohamed Idris said the meeting aims at “highlighting the consequences of the coronavirus’s economic and social crisis and its impact on achieving food security worldwide, especially in Africa.”
The conferees discussed means of taking swift and effective measures to mitigate the suffering of the African people, he added.
The Ambassador stressed that the continent has been facing “enormous challenges” in light of the pandemic, with the suspension of trade and transport, and their impact on global food supply chains.
Idris called for international action to support Africa’s agricultural sector and provide food for its impoverished people.
He pointed to Egypt’s initiative, submitted through the African Union Commission (AUC) to the G20, to ease African countries’ debt burden in light of the current circumstances.
He said this would allow the necessary funds to be pumped into the continent’s agricultural sector to boost its ability in facing the crisis.
