Health: Egypt airlifts food, medical aid to Somalia

The Head of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in Egypt, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawy, on Wednesday ordered the immediate airlifting of food and medical aid to famine-hit Somalia.

Tantawy said two Military C-130 planes were to immediately transport tons of food aid containing protein rich dairy products, rice, wheat and sugar, along with tons of medical aid, in an attempt to help alleviate the suffering of the 'brotherly' Somali people.

In the meantime, spokeswoman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Menha Bakhoum, said on Tuesday that Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr, was preparing to leave for Addis Ababa on Thursday, to attend an emergency meeting organized by the African Union to collect aid for the horn of Africa region.

The drought in the region, particularly in Somalia, is affecting some 12 million people, who face the risk of dying from starvation due to the severe famine and drought there, described as one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes the world has witnessed in recent memory.