UN resumes flights

The United Nations announced on Saturday that it was resuming flights to Somalia after a six-day hiatus provoked by the temporary loss of its war-risk insurance. According to a press statement issued on Saturday by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Randolph Kent, the UN has received the necessary insurance guarantees and resumed its flight operations at the weekend. Kent said the first priority would be the return of 45 essential personnel, who were withdrawn from Somalia last week following the loss of insurance cover.

"We are delighted to have resolved this issue so quickly and get our people back on the ground where they are needed," said Kent. "Our main concern is to ensure that we continue assisting those in need and be ready to respond to current drought and food insecurity." The UN employs more than 560 national staff, who have been managing the UN programme in Somalia in the absence of its international staff members. The UN has in recent months sought to increase its presence in Somalia so as to provide more emergency relief and extend existing development programmes. As many as 1,000 UN and NGO staff travel every month to Somalia on board UN flights.