Thursday May 19, 2022
President Sheikh Mohamed has ordered that Dh35 million of
humanitarian aid be sent to Somalia to support its development and alleviate
extreme poverty.
The aid confirms the UAE’s keenness to help friendly
countries and its efforts to develop its bilateral relations with Somalia, news
agency Wam said.
Somalia, which on Monday re-elected President Hassan Sheikh
Mohamud, is suffering its worst drought in decades.
The UN says about 6.1 million people – about 40 per cent of
the population – have been affected and 760,000 people have fled their homes.
Wam said the aid was intended to improve the living
conditions of the Somali people and enhance their government’s capacity to cope
with humanitarian challenges.
Humanitarian organisations have said that without a
significant increase in aid, Somalia could soon face the kind of famine not
seen since 2011, when 260,000 people perished from hunger.
The World Bank estimates that about 70 per cent of the
country’s 15 million people lives in extreme poverty, which it defines as an
income of less than $1.90 per day.
In February, the UAE sent dozens of tonnes of aid to
Somalia, including food and tankers of water to help people displaced by the
drought.
Last month, a ship carrying 572 tonnes of food supplies
arrived at Mogadishu port for distribution to about 600,000 people.