Muscat: The Oman Charitable Organisation (OCO), which oversees all domestic and overseas humanitarian relief on behalf of the government, said on Tuesday it was working on a ‘relief corridor' to supply emergency aid to drought-stricken Somalia.
Ali bin Ibrahim Shanoon al Raisi, Chief Executive of the state-run charity, told the local Oman Arabic newspaper that an initial shipment of relief supplies is due to be airlifted to Mogadishu next week. At the same time, the agency is also developing an air corridor between Muscat and the Somali capital to facilitate regular supplies to be airlifted into the drought and war-ravaged country. Supplies by sea are also envisioned, he added.
Meanwhile, on the directives of the country's ruler, Sultan Qaboos, the OCO dispatched is first consignment of relief supplies to neighbouring Yemen. The shipment, comprising around 110 tons of foodstuff, medicines and electricity generators, was airlifted to Aden International Airport earlier this week. It represents part of a total package of 550 tons of relief aid earmarked for strife-torn Yemen.
