The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, landed this Tuesday (11) in Mogadishu for a quick visit to Somalia, a country affected by conflicts and climate disasters.
Guterres was welcomed at the Somali capital’s airport by the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abshir Omar Huruse.
The Somali government has placed a security lockdown on Mogadishu for the visit, which had not been announced in advance.
Many highways have been closed to traffic and public transport faces restrictions.
Guterres’ visit coincides with a drought that has left millions of people on the verge of starvation in the country. At the same time, the government launched a major offensive against the violent Islamic rebellion.
The UN has made an appeal to collect 2.6 billion dollars in humanitarian aid for the country in the Horn of Africa region, but so far it has only managed 13% of the amount.
Five consecutive dry seasons in parts of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia have caused the worst drought in four decades, devastating livestock and crops.
The drought, which affects 8.3 million Somalis, has driven 1.7 million people from their homes in search of water and food.
The UN says nearly half of Somalia’s population will need humanitarian aid this year.
“The end of the crisis is far away: needs remain high and urgent,” said Adam Abdelmoula, UN coordinator for Somalia, last week.
“Some affected areas continue to face the risk of famine,” he added.
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© Agence France-Presse