TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has donated US$500,000 (NT$13.9 million) to Somaliland to help fight against a severe drought currently gripping the East African nation.
Taiwan’s envoy to Somaliland, Allen C. Lou (羅震華), handed over the donation to Somaliland Vice President Abdirahman Abdillahi Ismail Saylici, who also serves as chairman of the country’s National Drought Committee, on Monday (Feb. 21).
This donation is intended to provide the Somaliland Government with some relief from challenges brought on by the drought, according to Taiwan’s representative office in Somaliland. Taiwan is also planning to send 300 tons of rice to mitigate an ongoing food shortage, it said.
Since the establishment of Taiwan’s representative office in the capital of Hargeisa in August 2020, Taiwan and Somaliland have initiated various humanitarian aid and development cooperation in the fields of healthcare, agriculture, ICT, and education. The two countries plan to continue expanding cooperation in other areas, the representative office said.
The office added that it believes “the Taiwan Model of cooperation will benefit Somaliland people directly and leave no debt trap behind.”