SOS Children's Villages President deeply impressed by SOS family in Somalia

03/05/2007 - Helmut Kutin today personally called the regional director of SOS Children's Villages for East Africa, Wilhelm Huber, from Singapore, to get a first hand update on the present situation in Somalia. This is the third time in the last ten days that President Kutin has called and taken a personal interest in the crisis.

Huber briefed Mr Kutin on the latest events, specifically that some SOS families have already returned and others are in the process of returning to the village, but that much still depends on the security situation in the area.

Huber said that Mr Kutin again expressed his thanks and gratitude to the entire team for a job well done. "It is encouraging to the entire SOS Somalia team", Huber explained, "that our president shows his concern and personally follows the unfolding events from wherever he is around the world and that he recognises with appreciation the good work done."

On Thursday last week, following the shelling of the SOS Hospital, Mr Kutin made a personal and urgent appeal to the warring factions in Somalia to begin peace talks, "on behalf of the children, for a peaceful end to the conflict so that both they and their country have a future!"

Mr Kutin has visited the SOS Children's Village Mogadishu on numerous occasions. He last visited in May 2003, a time when the village received few visitors from outside the country due to the security situation, boosting the morale of all who live and work there.