Jeddah, Sep 5(Arab News): Saudi Arabia sent a ship with 4,000 tons of relief supplies to the famine-hit Somali people on Sunday and said it intends to send more such food and medical aid to the African country by air and sea.

The aid shipment came after Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif, chairman of the National Relief Campaign for Somalia, ordered to dispatch relief supplies donated by Saudis using ships.

Earlier, the Kingdom had sent 24 planeloads of relief supplies to the Somalis using Saudi Air Force cargo planes. “The relief supplies will be distributed directly among the famine victims,” said Saad Al-Harithy, adviser to Prince Naif.

Al-Harithy said the national fundraising campaign was still collecting donations from Saudis and residents in both cash and kind. Interested people may transfer their donations to the unified account No. 6000 at NCB and IBAN No. SA43100020177777000104.

A two-day telethon organized by Saudi Arabian Television last month raised more than SR202 million in addition to hundreds of tons of food, medicine, medical appliances, dates, tents and other supplies.