United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres began a visit to conflict- and disaster-ravaged Somalia this Tuesday in Mogadishu.
Guterres was received by Foreign Minister Abshir Omar Huruse upon arrival at the Somali capital’s airport, according to images posted on social media.
Somali authorities have drastically tightened security in Mogadishu for the unannounced visit. Most roads were closed and public transport limited.
The arrival of the United Nations leader comes as the country is ravaged by a disastrous drought, seriously affecting the food of the population, while the government remains embroiled in a major offensive to end a bloody onslaught by Islamist extremist groups to combat.
The UN has issued a call to raise $2.6 billion (€2.4 billion) in humanitarian aid for the African country, but the funding is only about 13%.
According to the UN, about half of the population will need humanitarian aid this year. According to the UN, 8.3 million people have been affected by drought.
“The crisis is far from over, the needs remain high and urgent”said the UN coordinator for Somalia, Adam Abdelmoula, in Geneva last week. “Some of the hardest hit areas are still at risk of famine”warned.
Source: DN
