Below is an article published by Somaliland Press

Somaliland Vice President Mr. Abdirahman Abdilahi Ismail ‘Saylici’ presided over the laying of foundation stone for UNICEF’s largest base in Horn of Africa which is about to be materialized near the Hargeisa airport.

Well organized ceremony held for this occasion was attended by several cabinet Ministers including Minister of Fisheries, Planning, Mineral and Water, Deputy Finance Minister, and mayor of Hargeisa.

Somaliland vice president Mr. Abdirahman Abdilahi Ismail who spoke at the ceremony said, “It is great pleasure today for the government of Somaliland to come here in order to preside the laying of foundation stone of UNICEF’s largest base in the Horn of Africa to be built in Hargeisa.”

The Vice president mentioned that this office will play huge role in providing services to children and women in Somaliland. Speaking on this issue, he said, “I congratulate on UNICEF when it comes to the tremendous strides it has taken in the right direction and it will set good example for other organizations. He called upon other UN organizations to follow the example set by UNICEF.

This step shows UNICEF’s willingness that millennium development goals targeted to children and women to bear fruit. He remarked that UNICEF is on the verge accomplishing that goal and he also congratulated on UNICEF’s spearheading success. On the other hand, the vice president told that the government of Somaliland is committed to have good cooperation based on development with UNICEF.

The Vice president said, “having donated the land to UNICEF where the center is to be built, the government of Somaliland remain ready to play its role when it comes to the close cooperation we have with UNICEF in order to reach the development goals and to make positive impact be it on health, education and water which are the three basic important needs.”

UNICEF special representative to Somaliland and Somalia Mr. Sikander Khan spoke at the ceremony and he said, “UNICEF is pleased to accept the land provided by Somaliland government to UNICEF in order to execute its duties. Once the building is completed, it will be UNICEF;s largest base in East Africa. Our expectation is that the building will take about twelve months to be completed. The land that the building is about to be implemented is 1000 meter square. It will hold up to ninety employees.

This center shows the importance that UNICEF has for Somaliland in order to implement development projects targeted to children. There are twelve ongoing projects in Africa that UNICEF is in charge of and the fund that is supposed to be spent on those projects is estimated to be around twenty five million dollars.”