UAE to send Dh35m of humanitarian aid to Somalia

Aid agencies say worst famine in a decade could hit Somali people soon

President Sheikh Mohamed has ordered that Dh35 million of humanitarian aid be sent to Somalia. Photo: Crown Prince Court – Abu Dhabi

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.