Africa-Press – Eswatini. Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku says the 250 metric tonnes of rice donated by the Republic of china (Taiwan) will feed about 10 000 people for a period of three months.
The DPM received the donation of 8 334 bags of 30kg rice yesterday at the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) warehouse in Matsapha.
The items were handed over to the Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Eswatini Jeremy Liang.
The DPM expressed profound gratitude to Taiwan, noting that the donated rice formed a very important part of the series of support offered by the Taiwan government.
“It also reflects the concerted commitment of the Taiwan government to partner with His Majesty’s Government with respect to securing a decent well-being for the Eswatini nation,” he said.
Masuku stated that the donation came at the right time when the country has established a case for people that are chronically in need of food support.
“It will also in part support vulnerable families who lost their livelihoods and are now food insecure,” he said.
In addition, he stated that the donation would complement the already existing food assisting programmes.
Masuku said in the past few years, the number of people who needed food assistance had increased due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, over and above the impact of climate change.
He said the Vulnerability Assessment Committee would soon be embarking on an annual assessment to determine the extent of the vulnerability in the country for the current year, the results of which will inform government planning.
“One must hasten to state that government is working through various departments, including the NDMA, to mitigate the impact of climate change as well as promote adaptation to the changing conditions,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Liang said the donation was given with love by the government and people of Taiwan, to make a real difference in the lives of those needing a helping hand in the country.
He said it also bolstered the Kingdom of Eswatini’s efforts to improve food security and ensure that the people can enjoy good health and well-being for all, at all ages.
“Today’s (yesterday’s) ceremony is truly special as it spotlights the deep feelings of care, concern and respect, defining Taiwan-Eswatini ties.
I am proud to play my humble part in ensuring we leave no one behind in the beautiful Kingdom of Eswatini. Make no mistake, this rock solid commitment is a testament to the friendship and goodwill characterising our precious bilateral relationship,” he said.
Strengths
“With the tough times of last year behind us, now is the time to build for the future based on our collective strengths and shared values,” he added.
The ambassador pointed out that he was genuinely heartened by the fact that the people were coming together and the government, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mswati III, has Eswatini on the true path towards real and lasting prosperity.
“But we mustn’t take our eye off the ball. Core challenges remain, and they are best tackled with an all hands on deck approach, involving the public and private sectors. The bottom line is, all members of society have rights to enjoy equal access to adequate amounts of healthy and nutritious food,” he said.
Liang said this was why the two countries established diplomatic relations 54 years ago and Taiwan made it a priority to collaborate with Eswatini in food-related measures, policies and programmes.
The ambassador said success was their byword and they would continue working closely in strengthening food security via cooperative initiatives, benefitting the people.
He said improving the sustainability of food systems does not happen overnight, but with dedication, hard work and most importantly, belief, great progress can be made.
Liang further added that building resilience was the cornerstone of averting shortages, especially given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food and agriculture sectors.
He highlighted that equally important though, was taking prompt steps to keep food supply chains alive and mitigate the effect of those most at-risk in society.
“Let’s be clear. Taiwan can help Eswatini clear this hurdle. We are stronger together, and will make even more headway in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SDG2: Zero Hunger,” he said.
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