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SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY IN ROME: NEWSLETTER

tarian Response Depot (UNHRD) in South Africa. South Africa’s UNHRD will generate several benefits in

terms of Emergency Preparedness and Response. A UNHRD will facilitate expeditious responses to hu-

manitarian crises in the Region, while also ensuring cost-savings from the advance purchase of emergency

items and standby regional fleet. South Africa’s proposed UNHRD will facilitate the country’s role as a re-

gional humanitarian hub for the Southern African Development Community (SADC). A Training Centre locat-

ed on the UNHRD premises will allow for training to be provided to humanitarian agencies in South Africa

and from across the Region. Through such a facility, regional humanitarian response capacities will be

strengthened, while South-South cooperation between South Africa and its neighbours will be enhanced, in

line with the country’s foreign policy vision. In addition, with a significant part of procurement being done lo-

cally, including transport services, a South African UNHRD would have a definite positive economic impact.

This would include greater partnership with the private sector in the country which would play a significant

role in regional operations. The only other UNHRD on the African Continent is in Ghana.

During 2018, South Africa made significant financial contributions to WFP to support its humanitarian opera-

tions in eSwatini and Somalia.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a

specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of de-

veloping countries.

Although, to date, South Africa has not been in a position to contribute to any of the IFAD Replenishment

cycles, the Fund deems South Africa to be of sufficient importance as a regional role player, to merit the

opening of a Country Office, to serve as a Southern Africa Hub. The first IDAD officials to serve in this

Country Office departed for South Africa during the last week of July 2018.

Plans are currently being finalised for Ambassador Shirish M. Soni to present his Credentials to the Heads

of all three Agencies in the very near future.

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