China offers $1 million aid for refugees support in Somalia

China has pledged a $1 million support for internally displaced people and returnees in Somalia, the International Organisation of Migration has said.

IOM director general William Swing said the pledged which is the first humanitarian support work from China to IOM will bolsters its efforts in supporting vulnerable communities in the country and thousands returning from refugee camps many of them from Kenya.

He added the contribution by China was critical in supporting IOM’s work in light of the March 2017 call of $24.6 million appeal for humanitarian support in Somalia.

“This contribution towards IOM’s humanitarian programmes is another milestone in bilateral relations between IOM and China,” Ambassador Swing said during the Belt and Road Forum in China.

The IOM project, which will reach over 15,000 people, will support the UN and the Government of Somalia-backed 2017 Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan. It will also provide lifesaving aid to vulnerable populations in areas affected by the ongoing drought and displacement.

The Belt and Road Forum, which was attended by representatives from over 100 countries, was the largest meeting to date to promote the colossal Belt and Road Initiative‎ (BRI). China has committed USD 124 billion to the scheme.

Ambassador Swing, speaking at an event on the theme of Trade and Sustainable Development, described labour migration as an essential element in co-building the ‘Belt and Road Community’.

“Facilitation of movement of capital, goods and services has been of enormous benefit to the global community,” he noted. “However, the missing piece of the globalization network, freer flow of people, still holds the promise of even greater prosperity. We must encourage visionary initiatives like the BRI.”‎