African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has been entrusted with the duty of distributing food aid to vulnerable people in Mugadishu city.
Up to 3.5 tons of food including maize flour, rice, cooking oil, beans and sugar was donated by the Italian CIMIC team under European Union Training Mission-Somalia (EUTM-S), to the local communities affected by hunger in Afgooye, which is 29kms from the capital Mogadishu.
The food items were received by the Deputy sector one commander Col John Winstone Mugarura.
These items are meant to speed-up AMISOM’s Quick Impact Projects.
While presiding the handover ceremony on behalf of the Head of Mission His Excellency Amb Francisco Madeira, Maj Gen Fidza Dludlu highlighted that there are many conditions that have led to scarcity of food in Somali communities, like the ongoing fight against Al-Shabaab, negative impact of Covid-19, heavy rains leading to floods, locust-invasion which caused famine in Somalia, among others.
General Fidza said with support of EUTM-S to AMISOM, efforts are being made to deliver the items to the Somali people in need.
“I hope that these essential items will provide life sustaining aid which will temporarily stop further suffering of the recipients,” he said.
He stressed that what AMISOM is doing is a temporary solution and implored other organizations to fill in the gaps.
Col John Winstone Mugarura who represented the sector one commander Brig Gen Richard Otto, said:
“Today’s activity of delivering food for future donation to the needy people of Afgooye, is one of those indicators and core principles of CIMIC on account of improving the livelihood, especially food security and nutrition aimed at averting the would be worsening humanitarian situation”, he noted
He added that: “On this humanitarian note, I wish to commend the stewardship of Brig Gen Fabiano Zinzione (Commander EUTM-S) for the onset procurement process and making this a reality”.
The Colonel also thanked the leadership of Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) for always closely working with AMISOM in coordinated and justified causes.
