69th United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York, September 24, 2014 – Reuters/Mike SegarCAIRO, April 18 (MENA) - Egypt has affirmed the importance of taking an urgent action to boost Africa's food security in order to withstand the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak on the African continent.This came during a high-level meeting co-organized by Egypt's mission to the United Nations in New York - via the video conference - along with the missions of Canada, Italy and Brazil to discuss means of boosting food security in Africa amid the COVID-19 outbreak.President of the UN general assembly, UN deputy secretary general, senior officials from Canada, Italy and Brazil alongside representatives of the UN World Food Program (WFP), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN International Fund For Agricultural Development (IFAD) were present at the meeting.The meeting falls within the framework of Egyptian diplomacy's international efforts to overcome the coronavirus crisis.It aims to highlight the economic and social impacts of the coronavirus crisis and their consequences on attaining food security across the world, especially in Africa, said Egypt's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Mohamed Idris.Swift and effective measures should be taken to mitigate the suffering of the African continent amid challenges posed by the suspension of trade movement and transport as well as the supply of the global food franchises, the ambassador said.He called for an international action to support the agricultural sector in Africa and secure food for its impoverished segments.The participants of the meeting, who included representatives of several African missions and members of other UN missions, agreed on pushing forward international efforts in this regard.

Source: Egypt Today April 18, 2020 08:48 UTC