Africa
ECOWAS Commission provides relief materials to 2012 flood victims in Cape Verde
| By Maureen Chigbo | Feb. 11, 2013 @ 01:00 GMT
THE ECOWAS Commission is providing succour for the flood victims in countries within the member states. In November last year, the Commission presented a cheque of $382,000 to the federal government of Nigeria to help mitigate the effects of the recent flood disaster which claimed several lives and caused substantial damage to property in parts of the country. The latest recipients of the commission’s benevolence are the flood victims in Cape Verde. ECOWAS, in January, presented a cheque of $190, 000 to the government of the Cape Verde in support of the unprecedented flood disaster, which caused severe losses of property and displacement of people in BoaVista Island in 2012.
On behalf of Kadre Desire Ouedrago, president of the ECOWAS Commission, Adrienne Diop, commissioner for Human Development and Gender, presented the cheque to Adalberto Vieira, Cape Verde’s vice minister of infrastructure and maritime economy, at a ceremony in Praia, the nation’s capital. She said the symbolic gesture of fraternity is to complement the efforts of the Cape Verde government towards mitigating the suffering of the affected population, adding that the gesture was inspired by the institutions Vision 2020 for transformation from ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of people.
The commissioner conveyed the sympathy and solidarity of the commission and other community institutions to Cape Verdeans in general, especially the affected families, noting that in spite of its pre-occupation with political and security issues, the commission would not neglect the humanitarian challenges facing community citizens.
She said the challenges were being addressed through various regional instruments, including the protocol on the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security. Diop explained that efforts were also redoubled to resolve the political crises and food insecurity in the region, adding that in spite of its limited resources, the commission would continue to support citizens affected by humanitarian disasters.
Responding, Vieira thanked ECOWAS for the donation, which he described as a demonstration of solidarity with Cape Verde. He promised that the money would be utilised to mend the collapsed bridge in Boa Vista and to alleviate the suffering of the affected population, whose losses have been estimated at millions of dollars.
Earlier, Jose Luis Rocha, vice minister, foreign affairs, Cape Verde, reiterated his country’s commitment to the ECOWAS ideal and support for the regional initiatives for the resolution of regional crises, especially that of Mali. He expressed optimism for the consolation of the symbiotic relationship between ECOWAS and Cape Verde, which he described as the smallest and the only Island country in the 15-nation regional economic grouping.
Diop assured the minister that ECOWAS respects and protects the interests and peculiarities of all its member states and would continue to work for peace and stability, economic development and integration of the region.
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