Chinese embassy donates money to Somalia

MOGADISHU - The Chinese embassy in Somalia on Sunday donated $20,000 to Somalia in an effort to assistant the draught-affected people in the country.

Chinese Ambassador to Somalia, Wei Hongtian, handed the donation to Abdulkader Abdi Farah, the Permanent Secretary of the Somalia Prime Minister's Office, in Mogadishu.

"This donation is from the staff of the Chinese embassy in Mogadishu to support their Somali brothers and sisters in need," said Wei. "We are always here to support the Somali people; we are here to convey greeting and moral support from the government and the people of China."

"I am receiving this donation with highest moral and respect. China is one of the main supporters of the Somali government and its people. China always provides assistance in the time of need," Farah said at the reception of the donation.

He thanked the government and the people of China for timely assistance, and commended the embassy's efforts to re-establish the long-time diplomatic relationship of the two brotherly nations.

The donation is coming at a time when over 1 million Somali people are facing emergency humanitarian need.

Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the international community to help the people of Somalia that are in need of emergency aid, saying that Somalis in southern regions may face severe famine like the one in 2011.