MOGADISHU, Somalia – A high-level delegation from the African Union Commission led by Ambassador Jainaba Jagne from the sub-committee on Refugees, Returnees, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) has ended a week-long visit to Somalia to assess the humanitarian situation.
In solidarity with hundreds of residents displaced from their homes by the adverse effects of climate change, the delegation donated US $150,000 to assist the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) with current relief efforts.
“We express our sympathies and solidarity by bringing 150,000 US dollars to assist Somalia with the work they are doing in providing humanitarian services to the citizens,” said Ambassador Jagne at a media briefing on Thursday in Mogadishu.
The team also held discussions with the senior leadership of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), FGS officials, Ambassadors of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs/PCCs), civil society groups, humanitarian partners, and United Nations agencies.
Commenting on the impact of the ongoing withdrawal of ATMIS troops on IDPs living around Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), Ambassador Jagne assured the AU would discuss it with the Federal Government and partners to ensure the rights of the vulnerable groups are assisted and protected in the context of the 2009 Kampala Convention on Protection and Assistance of Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“We have been informed that ATMIS provides clearance of safe routes for humanitarian services to the IDPs around them, water supply, medical services, and even sometimes food rations,” she said.
“All of the information has been brought to our attention. We will take this information back, digest and communicate with our Somali counterparts to support Somali initiatives to address these issues,” Ambassador Jagne added.
In addition, the AU official stated that the African Union is operationalizing the African Humanitarian Agency, a continental agency, by next year to tackle humanitarian challenges affecting member states, including Somalia.
“We will be looking at how we can initiate projects and programmes while also trying to operationalise the African Humanitarian Agency to ensure that we continue to assist our brothers and sisters in Somalia,” added Jagne.
Recognizing the role played by the international and multilateral agencies in support of Somalia, the Ambassador praised various humanitarian stakeholders for their unwavering assistance in the fight against the drought.
“The drive of all the people we have met is to try and find durable solutions to both the conflict and climate issues brought about to innocent Somalis. The drive and motivation are to find durable solutions so that people can go about with their normal lives,” she said.
As envisaged in its mandate, the delegation will sensitize the AU member states to help Somalia’s drought and climate change challenges.
