MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - The head of the U.N. refugee agency's office in Somalia, kidnapped more than two months ago from his home and shot in the neck and knee, said Thursday he had been freed by his abductors.
Hassan Mohamed Ali, head of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees organization in Mogadishu, was abducted June 21 from his home on the outskirts of the capital.
"My kidnappers treated me well and now my health is OK," he told the AP by telephone, a day after he was freed. "Now my wounds have healed."
Eighteen aid workers have been kidnapped this year, including 10 still in captivity. A total of 23 have been killed.
Mark Bowden, who heads the U.N. team co-ordinating aid, said the reluctance of donors to fund protection for humanitarian workers was hampering aid efforts. Currently only around $3 million was available for security, he said, out of $700 million needed.
Also late Wednesday, an Oman-flagged ship that was hijacked six months ago was released, said a Somali official in the semiautonomous Puntland region.
Abdulahi Said Ow-Yusuf, chairman of the Eyl village, said it was not immediately clear if a ransom was paid.
Yusuf said the Filipino crew members were were safe and on their way home. |