Irish Aid sends €600,000 worth of supplies to 4,000 families in Somalia

100-tonnes of humanitarian relief supplies from Irish Aid are to be distributed in Somalia by Concern Worldwide.

The consignment is to help 4,000 families displaced by drought, acute hunger and conflict.

An airlift, worth €600,000, landed in Mogadishu today and from there Concern staff will distribute the first of two loads of supplies, containing blankets, jerry cas, cooking sets, family hygiene kits, tarpaulins and solar lamps.

A second consignment is expected to arrive on Friday.

Regional Director for the Horn of Africa Feargal O’Connell welcomed today’s consignment to Somalia: “We are hugely grateful to Irish Aid for the 100-tonne consignment of non-food items, which will go a long way to supporting families who were forced to leave their homes with next to nothing and are now in need of shelter and other basic household items.

"Somalia is a country on the brink of famine and thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) including women and children are arriving at camps daily, where Concern is working, in the hope of humanitarian assistance.

"The need for assistance is increasing every day. The rains are also coming, so this airlift has arrived at a crucial time when vulnerable families need shelter and safety the most," he said.