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Nairobi — Chinese government donated US$500,000 humanitarian aid to Somalia through the World Health Organization (WHO) in Nairobi Tuesday.

China and Somalia enjoy cordial relationship, and the friendship cherished by the two countries and peoples have been developed continuously since China and Somalia established diplomatic ties in the year of 1960, said Zhang Ming, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, at the hand-over ceremony Tuesday.

“The Chinese government has been always supporting the Somali peace process from the beginning and has provided help in varieties to Somali people within our capacity,” said the ambassador, who paid a visit to Mogadishu last August and saw the accessibility of Somali people to health care was very low.

“In order to express the concern and sympathy of China and the Chinese people towards Somalia and the Somali people, the Chinese government decided to provide a humanitarian aid of half a million US dollars, for helping the internally displaced persons in Somalia to get more basic medical treatment and helping the people in need,” he said.

“What I can assure you is that, the Chinese government will continue, together with the international community, to make contribution for the peace, stability, reconstruction and development of Somalia,” said the ambassador.

The donation will be handled by WHO Somalia office to purchase medicine and medical equipment, and transport and distribute them to hospitals in Somalia.

Both WHO Somalia Representative Fouad Mojallid and Somali Ambassador to Kenya Mohamed Ali Nur were present at the ceremony. They thanked the Chinese government for the support to Somalia.