FIFA Donates $1 million for Somalian Aid

Soccer’s governing body, FIFA, have made a generous donation of $1 million in emergency aid for the humanitarian crisis currently afflicting Somalia.

The funds will be given directly to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in support of its programmes to help the people affected by the drought and the conflict in the country.

The ICRC will use the money to provide life-saving emergency aid, complemented by projects designed to revive or boost the livelihoods of the worst-off communities in a sustainable manner.

Approximately one-third of the donation will be used to finance the purchase and transportation of food, representing standard food rations for 25,000 families or 150,000 people over a period of one month, and the remaining two-thirds will support all ICRC activities in the country. Through this the ICRC hope to help about one million people in and around the southern and central Somalia where there are food shortages.

This initiative by FIFA is part of world football’s governing body’s solidarity programmes, which in recent years have allowed support to be provided to the people of countries such as Japan, Haiti, Pakistan, China PR, Chile and the countries of south-east Asia affected by the tsunami in December 2004.