Moscow to provide $1 million assistance to Somalia

01:3309/12/2009

MOSCOW, December 8 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will render Somalia medical and humanitarian assistance worth $1 million, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

"The Russian government decided to provide humanitarian and medical aid worth $1 million to Somali population through Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry," the ministry said.

It said the aid is due to "a critical situation in Somalia's health care as a result of a long-lasting internal armed conflict."

A civil war in Somalia, ongoing since 1991, has destabilized the African state, with rebel forces largely seizing control of the country from the government.

"The Somali side expressed sincere gratitude to the government of the Russian Federation for the assistance, which became another manifestation of traditionally friendly relations between our countries," the Russian ministry said.