Qatari aid arrives in Somalia to tackle drought

Forty-five tonnes of food baskets have arrived at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu to tackle the drought in Somalia. The aid has been sent from Qatar Fund for Development and Qatar Charity, in cooperation with the Amiri Air Force. The delivery of aid was attended by Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Duran Ahmed Farah, a number of Somali government officials, ambassador of Qatar to Somalia Hassan bin Hamza Hashem, a delegation from Qatar Fund for Development, and representatives of Qatar Charity office.The Somali minister, in a speech during the handover ceremony, expressed his country's thanks to the government and people of Qatar for the continuous support, pointing out that Qatar has been helping the Somali people for more than 20 years, and stands by them in all circumstances. He stressed that the Somali people will not forget what Qatar has offered them, indicating that its support came at a time when the country is going through the darkest humanitarian conditions.The minister also thanked the embassy of Qatar in Somalia for its efforts in facilitating the delivery of aid. For his part, the ambassador of Qatar to Somalia said that the initiative, represented by Qatar Fund for Development, to the call of duty and humanity to provide this urgent relief aid to our brothers affected by the drought crisis in Somalia, is an extension of the Qatari support provided to the Somali people in various fields, and for the relief aid and the great humanitarian work carried out by the offices of Qatar Charity and Qatar Red Crescent in Somalia to mitigate the effects of the drought crisis. He affirmed Qatar's leadership and people's support for the brotherly Somali people in these difficult circumstances, expressing his wishes that this crisis would end as soon as possible and Somalis would return to their normal lives.