Assistance to the drought-stricken areas in Djibouti, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda.

35. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE SECOND COMMITTEE
90. Assistance to the drought-stricken areas in Djibouti, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda

The General Assembly, Having heard the statement made by the United Nations Disaster Relief Co-ordinator before the Second Committee on 3 November 1980,[1] Noting with satisfaction the reports of the Secretary-General on assistance to the drought-stricken areas in Djibouti,[2] Somalia,[3] the Sudan[4] and Uganda,[5] to which were annexed the relevant reports of the multi-agency mission sent to study the humanitarian needs of the drought-affected victims in those countries, Noting with concern the grave effects in Djibouti, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda of successive years of drought and the resulting shortage of food-stuffs, livestock, fodder and water, Bearing in mind that it is in conformity with the principle of international solidarity enunciated in the Charter of the United Nations to render assistance to Member States which are the victims of major natural disasters, Aware of the adverse effects of the drought on the economic and social development of Djibouti, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda, Aware also of the regional nature of the existing drought situation in the countries of the Horn of Africa, Recalling the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council concerning assistance in cases of natural disaster, in particular Assembly resolutions 2816 (XXVI) of 14 December 1971 and 2959 (XXVII) of 12 December 1972,

Recognizing the very high costs involved and the great problems of distribution to the remote areas of Djibouti, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda,

1. Expresses its deep sympathy to the people and Governments of Djibouti, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda for the loss of human and animal lives caused by the drought;

2. Endorses the recommendations made by the multi-agency mission in the reports annexed to the relevant reports of the Secretary-General;[6]

3. Commends the Secretary-General for his speedy and positive response to the urgent situation of the drought-stricken countries of Djibouti, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda, and for his action in dispatching a multi-agency mission to those countries to ascertain their immediate needs for assistance to the affected populations;

4. Notes with appreciation the measures already taken by the Secretary-General, in co-operation with the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator and other agencies and organizations of the United Nations system, to ensure the speediest and most effective relief aid for the victims of drought and other natural disasters in Djibouti, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda;

5. Appeals to Member States and to international governmental and non-governmental organizations to make generous contributions towards helping the affected populations in the form of financial, material and technical assistance, as described in the reports of the multi-agency mission;

6. Recommends that Governments of the drought-stricken countries of the region should consider the establishment of an intergovernmental body with the responsibility for co-ordinating and supporting the countries' efforts to combat the effects of drought and other natural disasters and to deal with the problem of medium-term and long-term recovery and rehabilitation;

7. Requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and other organizations concerned within the United Nations system, to assign, as early as possible, the responsibility for assisting those countries in the region to the appropriate body, within the system, which will be funded from voluntary contributions, will be responsible for the co-ordination of the activities of the United Nations system in support of the recovery and rehabilitation efforts of the countries concerned and will also provide direct assistance to the Governments of those countries in co-ordinating inputs from donor sources and in strengthening their national and regional capabilities to mitigate the effects of future droughts and promote sustained economic and social development;

8. Also requests the Secretary-General:

(a) To mobilize international assistance for the populations affected as a result of drought and other natural disasters in the four countries concerned;

(b) To send, as a matter of urgency, a multi-agency mission to Djibouti, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda to assess the medium-term and long-term needs of the Governments of those countries for their drought-afflicted populations;

9. Further requests the Secretary-General to report to the Economic and Social Council at its second regular session of 1981 on the results of the multi-agency mission concerning the medium-term and long-term needs of the Governments concerned and also to the General Assembly at its thirty-sixth session on the progress achieved in the implementation of the present resolution.

84th plenary meeting
5 December 1980

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[1] Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-fifth Session, Second Committee, 36th meeting, paras. 6-17. [2] A/35/559. [3] A/35/560. [4] A/35/561. [5] A/35/562. [6] A/35/559-A/35/562.