Mogadishu, 08 July 2017 – The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has donated to the Somali Federal Government, an assortment of food and non-food items to assist drought-affected, internally displaced communities.
Ambassador Francisco Caetano Madeira, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, said the donation will benefit about 200 households living in a camp for internally displaced persons at Kilometre 13, in the outskirts of the capital Mogadishu.
The items include rice, pasta, sugar, vegetable cooking oil, beans, mosquito nets, blankets, bed sheets, jerricans, cooking pans, solar lanterns, plastic buckets, detergent, water purification tablets, and scrubbing brushes.
“What counts is the gesture. We don’t want the people of Somalia to suffer. We don’t want them to die out of hunger. So, the little we have, we share,” Ambassador Madeira said as he handed over the donation to the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Mr. Mohamed Moallim,.
The AU Special Representative for Somalia explained that the donation was in response to an appeal made by government authorities and Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ‘Farmajo’, aimed at averting a looming humanitarian crisis.
“We are desperately trying to avert a situation that leads us to famine. And luckily now we have received rains in some parts of the country,” Permanent Secretary Mohamed Moallim stated, but added that the situation was still dire.
“We have, as a ministry, already made a plan for this (donation). And reason being that we want to be able to dispatch this humanitarian aid as soon as we can,” Mr. Moallim added.
Mr. Vincent Lelei, the Deputy UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia lauded efforts by the federal government of Somalia, Somali publics and the humanitarian community in averting a humanitarian disaster.
“The community is KM13 is a group of families, overwhelmingly women and children who have fled from the drought-affected areas, particularly in south-central Jubba Valley and many other places. They have come in, looking for protection, looking for services and looking for food, medicine, shelter, household items to cook and to survive. Our work has been to support them. As long as they are there, the support will be required,” Mr. Lelei reiterated.
