U. S. Government Provides $1.5 million to FAO for Somalia Food Security Nutrition and Analysis Unit (FSNAU)

Rome, July 11, 2011

U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome

Rome – The United States Government, through the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), finalized an agreement to provide the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) with $1.5 million to support the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) for Somalia

Nancy Lindborg, the USAID Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance stated, “The United States is very concerned about the rapidly deteriorating situation in Somalia. These funds are part of a multilateral effort to keep the FSNAU running when timely and relevant information on the food security needs of vulnerable Somalis is urgently needed to help decision-makers in allocating resources.”

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome, Ertharin Cousin, welcomed the contribution, noting that, “USAID Administrator, Dr. Rajiv Shah, and the entire USAID team should be commended for the Agency’s critical response to the situation in Somalia. Through these funds, the FSNAU will continue to provide a unique service to the international humanitarian community -- vital analysis on food and livelihood insecurity as well as malnutrition in Somalia.”

The contribution will support the sixth phase of the FSNAU, which USAID/OFDA has been supporting since 2000. FSNAU provides a broad range of information and analysis to inform policy and aid decision making. Drawing on primary data collected throughout Somalia by FSNAU field teams, FSNAU is the main source of food security and nutrition analysis for the international community.

To date in Fiscal Year 2011, USAID/OFDA has obligated over $17 million to FAO emergency operations worldwide.