MOGADISHU: Visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed Tuesday for “massive” international support for Somalia as it battles a devastating drought and a grinding Islamist insurgency.
Guterres, who arrived in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu earlier on Tuesday, described his trip as a visit of “solidarity.”
“I am also here to ring the alarm on the need of massive international support,” he said, pointing to the difficulties faced by the country as it grapples with climate disasters and militancy.
“Although Somalis make no contribution to climate change, the Somalis are among the greatest victims. Nearly five million people are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity,” he said.
Somalia is in the grip of a calamitous drought that has driven many to the brink of famine, while the government is also engaged in a major offensive against the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabab Islamist militant group.
The United Nations has launched a $2.6-billion appeal for humanitarian aid for the troubled Horn of Africa nation, but Guterres said it is currently only 15 percent funded.
Five straight failed rainy seasons in parts of Somalia as well as Kenya and Ethiopia have led to the worst drought in four decades, wiping out livestock and crops and forcing at least 1.7 million people from their homes in search of food and water.
While famine thresholds have not been reached in Somalia, the UN says about half its population will need humanitarian assistance this year, with 8.3 million affected by the drought.
Somalia was hit by a famine in 2011 which killed 260,000 people, more than half of them children under six, partly because the international community did not act fast enough, according to the UN.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud last year declared “all-out war” against Al-Shabab, which has been fighting the fragile central government for more than 15 years.
UN chief urges ‘massive’ international support for Somalia
https://arab.news/jmz53
UN chief urges ‘massive’ international support for Somalia
Syrian authorities bust smuggling ring, tighten border controls
- Smugglers' boat collides with rocks as it attempted to flee pursuing as Coast Guard vessels
- The boat was about to illegally transport passengers from the Syrian coast of Tartus coast to Cyprus
DAMASCUS: Syrian Coast Guard forces have arrested members of a human smuggling network operating in the western town of Tartus, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported Saturday.
Authorities pounced on the smugglers as they were about to transport passengers from the Tartus coast to Cyprus by illegal means, the state media said, citing a statement from the General Authority of Ports and Customs.
"The operation resulted in the arrest of all those involved, including the organizers of the trip," said the report, adding that the smugglers' boat attempted to escape as Coast Guard vessels surrounded it, but collided with rocks.
No details were made available on how many suspects were arrested and how many passengers were rescued. Criminal charges are being prepared against the arrested suspects, SANA said.
New restrictions on commercial transit
In a separate move to regulate trade and border security, the ports and customs authority has issued a new policy restricting truck access at land crossings and seaports.
Commercial trucks will now only be permitted entry for loading or unloading upon presentation of an original receipt from the Ministry of Transport’s freight office.
The transfer of cargo between Syrian and non-Syrian vehicles must now take place strictly within designated customs yards at border crossings.
Trucks passing through Syria in transit remain permitted, provided they are under a mandatory customs escort between entry and exit points.
