Mogadishu (Sunatimes) Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip ErdoganTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan has said that Turkey has mobilized all means to raise the amount of donations for Somalia to $500 million, a sum that is urgently needed by the African country to survive one of the deadliest and roughest famines of its recent history.

Erdoðan was quoted as saying at an Iftar event on Sunday that the Istanbul session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) last week, secured $350 million, almost half of what Turkey alone has contributed.

Erdoðan said his country is trying to raise the amount to $500 million, which is needed urgently by Somalis, reports Anatolia news agency.

He added that Turkey is also to facilitate a settlement to Somalia’s internal conflict by mobilizing its Foreign Ministry to take steps towards the issue and address one of the main problems of security in Somalia.

Erdoðan visited refugee camps with his family along with members from the Cabinet to see the situation and boost morale in the famine-stricken country during a visit to Somalia last week that came on the heels of the OIC meeting in Istanbul.

In Somalia, almost 3 million people face death amidst hunger, contagious diseases and the violence of armed gangs.