Office of the Ambassador and Special Delegate of the Italian Government to the Somali Republic
ITALIAN AMBASSADOR TO SOMALIA SENDS CONDOLENCES TO THE VICTIMS OF TROPICAL CYCLONE IN PUNTLAND
PRESS RELEASE
Nairobi, 14th November 2013 – I wish to express the solidarity of the Italian Government to the people of Puntland affected by this violent storm that hit vast areas of the country, bringing death and devastation in particular in the provinces of Bari and Nugaal.
To the Somali families and the victims affected by this unexpected catastrophe I would like to express the deepest condolences and the proximity of the Italian people.
This tragedy, of which it is still difficult to understand the magnitude due to the interruption of all communication with some of the affected areas, must be addressed once again with the firmness, determination and courage that the institutions and the people of Puntland have already demonstrated in previous occasions.
We welcome and encourage the decision of the United Nations and related agencies to promptly intervene in order to prove, even in these dramatic circumstances, that they are able to relieve the suffering of the population, starting from the most vulnerable, children and women. In this context, Italy is ready to contribute to the efforts for alleviating the affliction of the Somali population.
We do hope that the call for help made by the Federal Authorities in Mogadishu and by the President of Puntland will not fall on deaf ears, as the situation is particularly serious and likely to deteriorate if we do not intervene in the next few hours, conducting a rapid assessment on site to evaluate the actual damages caused by the cyclone and thereafter sending the necessary aid. International assistance could be facilitated if provided in coordination with the Puntland Disaster Management and Rescue Committee set up by local authorities, which is already providing an immediate response to the crisis jointly with the ICRC.
I am sure that, thanks to the strong coordination of all international partners with the Somali Authorities, the people of Somalia will able to recover even from this new tragedy.
Andrea Mazzella
Ambassador and Special Delegate of the Italian Government to the Somali Republic
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