Agencies urge Somalia aid boost as UN meet starts

A Somali woman holds her malnourished child in a hospital in Mogadishu, March 2010.
REUTERS/Ismail Taxta

NAIROBI (AlertNet) - Aid agencies working to alleviate Somalia's humanitarian crisis have called on donors to plug a shortfall in funds for life-saving relief as a major U.N. conference on the war-torn country gets underway. The Istanbul Conference on Somalia, which takes place from May 21-23 and is convened by the United Nations and the governments of Somalia and Turkey, will address threats to security and stability in the Horn of Africa nation. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is due to address the summit, which will also explore ways to combat rampant sea piracy off the Somali coast. "We understand there is donor fatigue but we Read More