Mogadishu – The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), Thursday donated an assortment of food items to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Badbaado camp in Mogadishu.
Thirty-five families living at the camp located on the outskirts of the capital, were given various foodstuffs including rice, sugar, dates, cooking oil, and wheat. The event was held at the Al-Jazeera One Forward Operating Base manned by Ugandan ATMIS troops.
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef, who presided over the food donation, described it as a token of solidarity by ATMIS to meet the immediate needs of the IDPs during the holy month of Ramadan.
“Ramadhan is the month of hospitality, which calls on us to share the little we have with the less privileged in society. This is also part of the Somali culture of generosity to the community,” said Amb. Souef adding “during Iftar, pray for peace, security, prosperity and development in Somalia.”
Amb. Souef noted that aside from fighting the Al-Shabaab, ATMIS is cognizant of the climate change related challenges facing Somalia following years of failed rains and assured the IDPs of ATMIS support to mitigate the effects.
Isak Ousman Hussein, a 65-year-old father of eight who has lived at the camp since 2017 after being displaced by the twin effects of drought and conflict in the Lower Shebelle region, was among the beneficiaries of the food donation by ATMIS.
“The little ATMIS is sharing with us is sufficient because we are in dire need, and we hope to at least get more in future,” said Hussein, who represented the IDP community.
Located in Dharkinley district, Badbaado IDP camp was established in 2011, to host families and individuals displaced from their homes in search of food and water following the devastating drought that ravaged the horn of Africa region in the 2010-2011 period.
The food donation event was attended by senior ATMIS officials including ATMIS Police Commissioner Hillary Sao Kanu, ATMIS Senior Humanitarian Liaison Officer, Abdul Diabagate and the commandant of Al-Jazeera One military training school Lt Col. Robert Koriang.