James Swan, the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative to Somalia, has lauded the East African nation for the fight it has conducted against the COVID-19 pandemic.
On August 20, Swan mentioned the “severe negative impact” that COVID-19 has wrought on the Horn of Africa country.
While addressing the latest United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting, Swan lauded the measures the government has put in place to curb the spread of the virulent disease.
He also reminded his audience of the 11 percent decline in Somalia’s gross domestic product (GDP), which the government has projected for this year.
Special Envoy Swan reiterated the commitment by the UN to reinforce Somalia’s response to a disease that has killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
Swan indicated that all UN agencies, programs, and funds in Somalia have recalibrated their activities to prioritize the fight against the pandemic.
He asked the international community to intervene and help a country where over 5 million people required humanitarian assistance before the pandemic arrived on its shores.