China pledges more support to relieve African food crisis

Nations promise to provide $218m in new aid at mini-summit

UNITED NATIONS - China will make further contributions to help Africa with food security and sustainable development, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said at a mini-summit held to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa at the UN headquarters in New York on Saturday.

Speaking to representatives of more than 50 UN member states, Yang said that China has announced it would give the region emergency grain aid and financial support - worth about $70 million - including a $16 million donation to the World Food Program to support famine-relief operations in Somalia.