Saturday, October 29, 2011
Iran's Deputy Envoy to Somalia Mohammad Hossein Khoshamadi said despite huge possibilities, the US and other western countries have refrained from dispatching humanitarian aid to Somalia and endangered the lives of thousands of people in the famine-hit African country.
Speaking to FNA in Mogadishu, the diplomat blasted the US and other western countries for their lack of action in the face of drought and famine in Somalia despite their mottoes and slogans in support of human rights.
"The US and the West do not help Somalia because their economic and political interests are not met through such aid and assistance," Khoshamadi said.
He further urged Muslim nations to rush to the Somalis' aid and help the poor and needy people in the African nation.
The Islamic Republic of Iran was among the first countries which rushed to the aid of the Somali people and it has dispatched over 14 aid cargos to the African nation thus far.
Less than a month ago, Iran shipped its largest cargo of humanitarian aids weighing about 5000 tons to Somalia.
The cargo, which arrived in Mogadishu a few days ago, contains medicine, rice, flour, cereal, sugar, and some other goods.
A number of Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, have so far visited Somalia to inspect the famine-hit areas and oversee the process of delivering aid to the country.
Yesterday Somali Foreign Minister Mohamed Mohamud Ibrahim demanded Iran to provide his drought-stricken country with further medical aid and training.
Ibrahim made the remarks in a meeting with officials of Iran's Red Crescent Society (IRCS) in Mogadishu on Friday.
At the meeting, he reminded that Somalia is grappling with severe drought, war and poverty, and said due to the same reason his country "is in dire need of Iran's capabilities, specially in areas of medical aid and trainings".
He further thanked the several humanitarian aid cargos dispatched by Iranian officials and people to his country, and said his government has set up a special committee to accelerate distribution of the sent items among the needy and the poor in Somalia.
The IRCS officials, for their part, briefed Ibrahim about the Iranian aid consignment which has just arrived in Mogadishu.
Also during the meeting, Iran's deputy ambassador to Mogadishu and Ibrahim reviewed the latest conditions of the two countries' cooperation in various grounds.
The Iranian Red Crescent has so far sent 5 medical teams to Somalia to help the famine-stricken people of the African country.
The last team was sent to the African country in mid October and is due to stay in the country until the end of this month.
IRCS has recently inaugurated a central clinic in Mogadishu to help the drought and famine-stricken people of the country.
It had earlier erected 6 medical camps in Somalia.
According to the World Food Program, drought and famine have affected more than 11.8 million people in the Horn of Africa and created a triangle of hunger where the borders of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia meet.
Somalia has been the hardest-hit country by what is being described as the worst drought in the Horn of Africa in 60 years.
The United Nations has warned that more than thirteen children out of every 10,000 aged less than five die in the Somalia famine zone every day.