Ethiopia aids Somalia with medical supplies after Djibouti, Kenya lead

Ethiopia has joined the number of countries helping neighbouring Somalia with medical aid in the wake of the Mogadishu bomb attack that claimed hundreds of lives.

The Ethiopian Ambassador to Somalia, Jamaludin Mustafa handed over the 8 tonnes of medical consignment to Somalia’s Health Minister Fawziya Abikar in Mogadishu today, local media sources have reported.

Ethiopia’s gesture follows that of others in the Horn of Africa region. Djibouti were the first to send medical personnel and supplies very early this week to help Somalia deal with the carnage.

Jamaludin Mustafa,Ethiopian Ambassador to #Somalia handed over ’8 tonnes of medical aid’ to Fawziya Abikar, #Somalia’s minister of health pic.twitter.com/52U150kYX3

— Addis Standard (@addisstandard) October 20, 2017

#Djibouti sends medical help to #Somalia. Well done. https://t.co/tBmSrZFlqG

— Rachel Pieh Jones (@RachelPiehJones) October 17, 2017

Their move was followed by Kenya whose army delivered 11 tonnes of medical supplies to the minister and the mayor of Mogadishu.

Leaders of Somalia’s neighbours had all condemned the attack. Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, spoke about the urgency to defeat terrorism in the region while calling on Somalians to stand strong in the face of the crisis.

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn is also on record to have sent condolences to the Somali government. The African Union, the European Union and United Nations among others have all condemned the attack of last Saturday emphasizing the need to defeat terrorism.

The medical supplies were handed over by Maj Gen (Rtd) Lucas Tumbo to Somalia’s Minister of Health & Social Services & Mogadishu’s Mayor. pic.twitter.com/nhqts11×4g

— Kenya Defence Forces (@kdfinfo) October 17, 2017

It was a historic landing for the Ethiopian plane that carried the supplies because this was the first time in two and half decades that it had landed in Mogadishu, local media portals reported.

#Ethiopian airlines plane carrying medical aid lands at Mogadishu airport after two and half decades. #GurmadQaran #MogadishuTruckBomb pic.twitter.com/cDDWrlpnkd

— Somalia Live Update (@HassanIstiila) October 20, 2017