Somalia is "thankful for the delivery of 25,000 tonnes of grain, which will greatly benefit the thousands of Somali people affected by the current floods resulting from El Nino", the country's Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Daud Aweis, told Sputnik Africa Friday.
The statement comes as Russia delivered the first batch of humanitarian grain that Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier promised to send to six Africa countries, including Somalia, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Eritrea and the Central African Republic.
"The Federal Government of Somalia expresses its sincere gratitude for the humanitarian aid provided by the Russian government. We are thankful for the delivery of 25,000 tons of grain, which will greatly benefit the thousands of Somali people affected by the current floods resulting from El Nino," Daud Aweis told Sputnik Africa.
The minister highlighted that the assistance "arrives at a crucial moment, and once more we commend Russia for its substantial support and unwavering commitment to helping Somalia overcome this challenging period."
In September, after the expiration of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would start supplying grain to six African countries on a free-of-charge basis.
The first Russian ships, each carrying 25,000 tonnes of wheat, left for Somalia and Burkina Faso on November 17 and were expected to arrive in late November to early December, as revealed by Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev. He also disclosed that up to 200,000 tonnes of Russian wheat will be sent to Africa free of charge by the end of the year.