Dar Es Salaam — Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete on 9 August said his country was donating 300MT of maize to drought-affected Somalis.

"We are deeply concerned with reports of severe famine in the Horn of Africa, where Somalia is hardest hit," Kikwete said in a statement issued after he met Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, President of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government. Ahmed was in Tanzania for a two-day state visit. Kikwete said he would support Somalia in solving political, security, social and economic challenges facing the country.

Kikwete said: "We wish we could have given you more because we understand the magnitude of the problem and your needs. At present that is what we can manage since the harvesting season has just started. We are going to look at the possibility of giving more food support in the future."

He said he would lead the campaign to mobilize relief supplies to Somalia from international organizations, other governments and the private sector in his country. "We will ask various friendly countries, organizations and local firms engaged in bottling water to deliver relief supplies to Somalia," Kikwete said.

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]