In light of the latest worrying developments in Mogadishu, the Federal Foreign Office has decided to make available an additional EUR 1.5 million for the implementation of humanitarian aid projects in Somalia.
The Diakonisches Werk of the Evangelical Church in Germany will receive EUR 500,000 to help feed displaced persons outside Mogadishu. EUR 1 million will be made available to the International Committee of the Red Cross, above all for medical care for the wounded and assistance for displaced persons. Both organizations have well-established local partners, and thus comparatively good access in the prevailing difficult environment.
Federal Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier made the following statement on the subject:
"With this 1.5 million euro, we hope at least to improve in some small way the difficulties faced by the people in Somalia. A lasting improvement can however only be made if the violence is brought to an end. I call upon all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and to remove all obstacles that hinder humanitarian relief efforts."
According to UN sources, an escalation of military operations, in particular the shelling of residential areas, has caused up to 400,000 people to flee the capital Mogadishu since February. Only very limited aid has reached them, in part because of lack of security.
Since the beginning of 2007, the Federal Foreign Office has made available over EUR 4 million for humanitarian aid in Somalia. It has additionally provided EUR 750,000 for Somali refugees in the neighbouring countries of Kenya and Ethiopia. Germany is currently the second-largest donor of humanitarian aid for Somalia after the United States of America.