UN Delegation Visits Qatar Red Crescent for Further Cooperation in Somalia

Doha, February 16 (QNA) - A high-profile delegation from the United Nations visited Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) headquarters on Monday to enhance cooperation and discuss issues of common interest. The delegation comprised Nicholas Kay, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, and Noboru Fernandes de Abreu, the Special Assistant to the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia. The guests were received by QRC Secretary-General Saleh bin Ali Al-Mohannadi, QRC Communications Advisor Hamad Al-Fayyad, and Head of Africa Office, Relief and International Development Department Izedeen Elglal. Al-Mohannadi welcomed the guests and reviewed QRC's relief and development interventions in Somalia, both on its own and in tandem with the Qatari Charitable Alliance for Solidarity with the Somali People, lately culminating with an MoU with its Somali counterpart as a legal framework to execute its humanitarian projects throughout Somalia. The talks also covered the situation in Somalia, which, according to Kay, has largely improved in security, economy, health care, education, and new jobs, thanks to the close cooperation between Somali authorities, the Qatari government, and different UN agencies, such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Al-Mohannadi emphasized the importance of enabling the local communities to return home and establishing productive projects for them, especially with the better situation in the capital Mogadishu and the restoration of normal life. QRC, he noted, has implemented dozens of relief and development projects through its permanent office in Somalia, the latest of which was opening a new health center in the Awdheegle district, Lower Shebelle, in partnership with Qatar Charity. The QR 280,000 health facility would serve the district's 30,000 population as well as neighboring towns. Meanwhile, the UN envoy commended the great efforts done by the humanitarian organizations that work in Somalia, particularly in relation to building schools, employing more teachers, collecting garbage, rehabilitating hospitals, and launching vaccination campaigns. Refugee conditions are still difficult, however, and there is a dire need to rebuild and rehabilitate the infrastructure, mainly roads, to bridge the gap between the status quo and the desired situation. Al-Mohannadi concluded, "Despite its current conditions, Somalia has begun to be more resilient, which helps push the early recovery projects done there for years now. Every now and then, QRC sends official delegations to Somalia to ensure effective coordination with the humanitarian players there and supervise the on-the-grounds projects for the Somalis affected by insecurity and unstable weather conditions". (QNA)