Somalia: UAE delivers food aid to families in Puntland

GAROWE, Puntland - Teams from the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation have begun the distribution of emergency relief assistance to families in Puntland State, northeastern Somalia, as part of phase two of a campaign launched to assist those ravaged by drought in the region.

Some 900 tonnes of food aid is being delivered to help recipients endure the hardships caused by the drought that has plagued their land and harmed farms and livestock.

This follows the Foundation's provision of 824 tonnes of food items to around 30,000 people in the also affected area of Jubaland, as part of the campaign's first phase.

The initiative is in implementation of the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the follow-up of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Chairman of the Khalifa Foundation.

A spokesman from the Foundation said the relief assistance is targeting 20,000 Somali families - around 100,000 people - in Puntland where large quantities of food parcels are being distributed in areas including Cayn and Aluula.

He added that the campaign will see the distribution of a further 20,000 food baskets containing basic food items in other regions including Bari, Karkaar, Nugal, Sanaag, Gardafuul, and Sool.