The African Union Commission (AUC) has called on African governments to take advantage of schemes of the African Risk Capacity (ARC) to save the lives and livelihoods of the most disaster vulnerable population.
In a press briefing he gave yesterday, AUC Deputy Chairperson Ambassador Thomas Kwesi Quartey said the increased frequency of extreme weather events driven by climate change have increased the risk of hunger and malnutrition in Africa.
“The images we often see of starving people in Africa must stop. Chronic hunger, malnutrition and destitution across the continent are not acceptable. We must break out this cycle as there are modern financial tools which can use to help us respond earlier,” Quartey said.
According to him, AUC established the specialized agency, African Risk Capacity (ARC), to provide prompt funds in the event of natural disaster when and where it is needed most for participating African governments.
Senegal, Niger, Mauritania and Malawi have already been beneficiaries of the ARC scheme.
Currently, ARC has 32 member countries that have signed the ARC Establishment Treaty. But only 8 of these have actually participated in the insurance fund, it was pointed out.
The Deputy Chairperson said, “I want to see more African governments take advantage of the schemes as ARC it is theirs.”
Approximately two-thirds of the populations of Sub-Saharan Africa reside in rural areas and most are dependent on rain-fed agriculture and rangeland, subject to the vagaries of the weather.
The African Risk Capacity (ARC) was established as a Specialized Agency of the African Union (AU) in 2012 to help member states improve their capacity to better plan, prepare and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters; therefore protecting the food security of their vulnerable populations.(ENA)