The Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia, Mr. Hamza Abdi Barre, today received the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Somalia, James Swan, in his office.
The representative briefed the Prime Minister on the activities of his office and other United Nations agencies in the country, especially – the drought relief activities and helping to stabilize the situation, as well as providing charity and basic services to the people living in the areas. freed from the terrorist group.
Prime Minister Hamse thanked James for the various activities he did in the country during his stay. James, who will soon transfer to the post of Secretary General, after the meeting, the Prime Minister presented with various gifts.
James became Somalia’s Envoy to the UN on May 2019 and despite the scale-up in humanitarian operations, a $1.45 billion appeal for this year is only 15 percent funded.
Swan has spent most of his career working on African issues, most recently as U.S. ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is no stranger to Somalia, having been the U.S. special representative for that country from August 2011 to July 2013.
According to the U.S. State Department website, in that role, Swan led U.S. diplomatic, security, and stabilization initiatives that resulted in Washington’s recognition of a Somali government for the first time in 20 years.
Similarly, donors have to deliver on pledges and commitments made last month at a high-level event in Geneva focused on humanitarian needs in the Horn of Africa.
“Without immediate receipt of funding to expand humanitarian operations, we face the prospect of significant loss of life in the period ahead,” he told ambassadors.
“Even as we focus now on saving lives and averting famine, there is also a need to increase resilience, development, and climate responses so that those affected by recurring crises can adapt and thrive in the future.”
