China provides humanitarian aid to Somalia

MOGADISHU, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday donated a batch of humanitarian assistance to Somalia amid flourishing bilateral ties.

Fei Shengchao, Chinese Ambassador to Somalia, said the humanitarian supplies from China included 10,000 tents, 50,000 mosquito nets, 20,000 aid kits and baby weight scales, stethoscopes and thermometers.

"The pandemic has taken its toll on humanitarian support worldwide. For these supplies, the cost of production has gone up 15 percent and the cost of shipment has soared seven times," Fei said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.

The Chinese government has delivered the aid despite the rising cost of production and shipment. Fei said that is the Chinese way of helping others.

The ambassador added that China and Somalia are well-known for their compassion for each other and for their resilience at difficult times.

Somalia's Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Khadijo Mohamed Diriye thanked the Chinese government for providing the humanitarian assistance, saying it came at a very critical moment.

"Somalia thanks China for its constant role of support to its Government and people in the very dire situation that they're facing. We received different equipment of humanitarian assistance from our brotherly nation," Khadijo said.

The humanitarian assistance from China was delivered at a time Somalia was reeling from droughts, floods and locusts invasion.