Portugal sends humanitarian aid of more than 580 thousand euros to Cape Verde – Observer
Portugal announced this Friday humanitarian support to Cape Verde worth 580,000 euros to help the archipelago mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, a food crisis and a prolonged drought.
“Portugal granted Cape Verde extraordinary support in the amount of more than 580 thousand euros (583,462 euros) which is intended to mitigate the cumulative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the world food crisis and the effects of prolonged drought in that country”, reads a note sent to Lusa, which explains that the support is divided between budget aid and the sending of 6.7 tons of powdered milk.
Aid from Portugal is thus divided into 560 thousand direct support to the Budget, to reinforce food security, which adds up”regular support of 500 thousand eurosthus raising the total amount made available by Portugal for this purpose to more than one million euros” and, on the other hand, “the shipment of 6.7 tonnes of powdered milk (over 23 thousand euros), whose transport to Cape Verde was ensured by the Ministry of National Defence, through the Portuguese Navy”, explains the statement.
“Portugal and Cape Verde are partners of excellence – and for a sister country, we have to be present at all times. The Portuguese Government could not be indifferent to Cape Verde’s appeal to face the triple crisis and, therefore, mobilized resources in various areas of government, including the experience of Portuguese Cooperation, to obtain this support that will have a very positive impact on Cape Verde“, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho, quoted in the statement.
“Nobody can be left behind and it is with this spirit of global solidarity that Portugal takes on this partnership agreement; food security and access to quality food have been met with even greater challenges, which call us even more to to join efforts“, accompanied, on her side, the Minister of Agriculture and Food, Maria do Céu Antunes.
In June, the Cape Verdean Prime Minister declared a social and economic emergency in the country due to the impacts of the war in Ukraine, announcing mitigation measures with a total cost of more than 80 million euros in 2022.
This week, the Cape Verdean Government extended for another six monthsby the end of June 2023, the program to mitigate price escalation due to the war in Ukraine, as per resolution approved by the Council of Ministers.
“Cape Verde is still facing the effects of a triple crisis, namely the prolonged drought since 2017, the covid-19 pandemic, and since March 2022, the war that started with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which remains without data on end”, registered the resolution, of December 29 and which enters into force on January 1, 2023, extending for six months the previous resolution, of June 14, which maintained the complementary measures to mitigate the impact of the war in Ukraine on electricity tariffs and food products.