Luanda - The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Saturday night approved an amount of around USD 1.4 million for the operation of the Humanitarian Operations Centre (SHOC), based in Nacala, Mozambique.
The amount was approved during the Council of Ministers of the organisation and should be used for the "provisional start-up" activities of the Centre, over a period of three years (2022 to 2025).
With this step, the organization intends to coordinate in advance the response to the risks of natural disasters that are becoming more frequent in the region.
In recent years, the southern African region has been experiencing an increase in the frequency, magnitude and impact of cyclones, droughts and floods that threaten to reverse development gains.
SADC approves 2022-2023 budget
At the meeting, which took place in Lilongwe, Malawi, SADC also approved the organisation's Annual Corporate Plan and budget for the Financial Year 2022/2023, the amount of which was not disclosed.
These are documents to support the implementation of SADC priorities, under the terms of the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) for the period 2020-2030.
At the meeting, where Angola was represented by a delegation headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Téte António, the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic was discussed, including the state of vaccination in the region.
Regarding Covid-19, Council members agreed that they should not lower their guard in the collective response, ensuring, among others, equitable access to vaccines, while taking steps to address the challenge of vaccine hesitancy and scepticism among the regional population.
SADC Industrialisation Road Map
The final communiqué states that the meeting, which was held on Friday and Saturday, also reviewed the status of implementation of the organisation's member countries' Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap for 2015-2063.
This, the document continues, is a standard agenda to boost industrialisation and trade, recognising that economic transformation and development depend on an industrialised and integrated region.
SADC advocates for strong economic linkages in which there is increased intra-regional trade on the basis of interconnecting member states' markets.
Finally, the Council of Ministers commended the member states for their solidarity and support to the deployment of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), which is resulting in the improvement of the situation in Cabo Delgado.
The document stresses that in the case of Cabo Delgado (Mozambique), internally displaced persons are returning to their homes and resuming their normal lives.
SADC comprises South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Comoros Islands, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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