The African Union (AU) has handed over it pledge for relief items to the Somali government. The AU promised to provide $100,000 in relief items for drought victims in Somalia in March 2017 by the then newly elected chairperson of the union.
The 67 metric tonnes of assorted items including rice, sugar, beans and vegetable oil were handed over on Tuesday by the head of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Francisco Madeira on behalf of the Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat.
The AU says a total of 1.1 billion dollars was raised by the international community and Somali nationals in the diaspora to avert famine. AMISOM head Madeira said the situation in Somalia is still fragile despite a slight improvement in the drought condition.
The insecurity in Somalia is partially responsible for the food shortage seeing as most of the residents have been forced to flee the nation for fear of violence and death by the al Shabaab. This has in turn affected the food production and has resulted in the majority of the citizens depending on relief food from the International community, Somalis in the diaspora and other well-wishers.
