Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb on Thursday criticized slow Arab and international efforts to send food and other aid to drought and famine-plagued Somalia.
Tayyeb’s statement came during an Al-Azhar reception for a UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) delegation led by FAO Director General and former Brazilian President José Graziano da Silva.
“We, the Muslims and Arabs, demand helping Somalia,” Tayyeb said, adding that even food crumbs from rich Arab and Western companies could save Somalis from starvation.
He also described what’s happening there as a crime.
Regarding Egypt's agricultural production, Tayyeb said the government plans to devote more attention to wheat cultivation. He and da Silva agreed on the need for Al-Azhar and the FAO to cooperate with the government.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
