Beletweyne (SONNA): African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops have distributed food and non-food items to vulnerable households in Beletweyne, HirShabelle State of Somalia.
Djiboutian and Ethiopian troops that jointly oversee security in HirShabelle State under Sector 4 distributed the relief in partnership with the Government of India.
At least 960 families displaced by conflict, drought, floods received items that included sugar, rice, mosquito nets, cooking oil, blankets and plastic sheets.
The AMISOM Deputy Sector 4 Commander Col. Yeshiwas Kerebet said the assistance would improve the living conditions for the beneficiaries.
“Primarily, our mandate is to secure the people. But alongside this, we provide this kind of support as AMISOM. We will continue to provide similar support in future,” said Col. Kerebet.
The AMISOM Sector 4 Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) officer, Lt. Ibrahim Yussuf Ahmed, pledged to extend more aid to vulnerable households in other areas within the AMISOM area of responsibility.
“Today, each family received 12 kilos of sugar, 10 kilos of rice and 12 litres of cooking oil. We will extend similar assistance to the communities in Bulo Burde, Dhusamareeb and Mahas towns,” said Lt. Ahmed.
The Hirshabelle State’s coordinator in the Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Hawo Ahmed Mohamed, hailed AMISOM for the donation, which she described as timely.
“We appreciate AMISOM for the timely support and request for more support to communities in urgent need of support in the Hiraan region,” said Ms Hawo.
One of the beneficiaries, Damac Haji Ibrahim, said, “We are immensely grateful for the provision of much-needed support and request our brothers for more support.”
AMISOM troops continue to extend humanitarian assistance, including distributing food and non-food items to communities living in the mission’s areas of responsibility in south-central Somalia
