Grand Shia Cleric: Somalia Crisis Rooted in Colonialism

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem-Shirazi told worshippers in the holy Iranian city of Qom on Monday that Britain and Italy plundered Somalia's natural wealth and resources for years and ruined the country.

Colonial rule divided Somalia from the mid-1800s until 1960, when British Somaliland in the northern part of the country and Italian Somaliland in southern Somalia were reunited to form the present-day Somalia.

Somalia has been without a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in the African country.

Grand Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi called on Iranians to aid the people of Somalia, who are on the brink of starvation.

On Monday, the fourth shipment of humanitarian relief aid provided by Iran's Red Crescent Society (IRCS) to help with the relief of famine-hit Somalia arrived in Aden-Adde International Airport in the capital Mogadishu.

The 25-ton consignment of Iran's humanitarian aid comprised rice and legumes.

IRCS Secretary General Zaher Rostami said on Saturday that Iran plans to dispatch seven more shipments of humanitarian aid to Somalia in the next 40 days.

Last week, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei called on Iranians to rush to the aid of the Muslim people of Somalia.

“These days, the Horn of Africa and particularly the catastrophe-ridden country of Somalia are witnessing one of the most painful human crises in which the lives of millions of Somali women and children are in danger due to drought, famine and the silence of international organizations,” read a statement by the Leader.

Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi is scheduled to visit Somalia to speed up the distribution of Iranian aid to the famine-hit people of the African country.

During his stay in Mogadishu, Salehi will meet Somali authorities to discuss the supplies needed by the famine-stricken Horn of Africa nation as well as increasing the speed of aid delivery and distribution among the people of Somalia.

The main part of Iran's humanitarian aid to Somalia will also be handed over to the country's relief organizations during Salehi's visit.

The United Nations has warned that more than 13 out of every 10,000 children aged less than five die in the Somalia famine zone every day.

"This means that 10 percent of children under five are dying every 11 weeks. These figures are truly heart-wrenching," UN representative to Somalia Augustine Mahiga said.

The drought and famine have affected more than 11.8 million people across Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Somalia has been the hardest-hit country in what is being described as the worst drought in the Horn of Africa in 60 years.

According to the United Nations, it is estimated that a quarter of Somalia's population of 9.9 million are now either internally displaced or living outside the country as refugees.

The UN has declared famine in five regions in Somalia and said that the international humanitarian response to the crisis has been insufficient.

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