Somalia: UN relief chief arrives in Mogadishu amid humanitarian appeal
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- Posted On 06-03-2017, 10:09PM
MOGADISHU, Somalia- Stephen O'Brien, the UN under-Secretary-General for humanitarian affairs has arrived to the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Monday, Garowe Online reports.
The UN relief chief touched down in Aden Adde International Airport, where he was received by United Nations special envoy Michael Keating and UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia Peter de Clercq.
De Clercq said O'Brien's visit to Mogadishu is seen as an important move to raise awareness of the biting drought in Somalia, where 5.5 Million people are in dire need of urgent assistance over the next 6 months.
During his stay in Mogadishu, UN relief chief O'Brien is expected to visit communities affected by the drought and closely assess the humanitarian situation, according to Peter de Clercq.
"International community and Somalia's partners should work jointly to save five million people suffering from the severe drought," said UN envoy.
UN aid agencies said millions of people in Somalia are currently facing the very real risk of famine over the coming six months if aid efforts are not rapidly scaled up.
On February 28, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has declared a natural disaster, as the Horn of Africa nation struggles with a severe drought and food crisis.
GAROWEONLINE
