Azerbaijan is ready to continue its support to those in need in Somalia and other countries of the region, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Contact Group on Somalia in Doha, Trend reports Nov. 4.
The minister said that it is necessary to increase efforts to find long-term solutions for refugees and internally displaced people in Somalia.
“We are gravely concerned that the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in Somalia,” Mammadyarov noted. “Climate change is leading to frequent droughts in Somalia- forcing people to leave their homes almost every two years. Azerbaijan responded to the appeals of the respective governments and international organizations to provide urgent aid aimed at addressing the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa, including Somalia – the worst-affected country in the region.”
Azerbaijan’s ADA University also provides fully covered scholarship education for young Somali professionals in the fields important for strengthening state-building, the Azerbaijani minister said.
“It is important that the international community continues supporting Somalia,” Mammadyarov added. “At the same time, all parties must allow unimpeded humanitarian access and refrain from actions which threaten the safety of the local population and those assisting them.”
Trend News Agency