UN resumes aid activities in Somalia

The UN on Tuesday rescinded its decision to suspend aid work in Somalia following the murder of a senior UNICEF official earlier this month and announced a resumption of aid activities in the country's central and southern regions.

A statement from the Office of the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator said while investigations continue in order to identify the killers, discussions held between UN agencies, community leaders, clan elders and civic groups in Baidoa, Jowhar and Mogadishu indicate a "clear determination" to take steps at the community level to prevent such "wanton" killings in future. "We are not returning to this blindly. Commitments have been made by the community leaders about the ways that these conditions will be fulfilled," UN Resident Coordinator Randolph Kent said. "We will be looking very carefully at what that will mean in terms of day-to-day practice. For our part, we will support them in whatever ways we can to help them ensure the security of humanitarian workers," he said.