QNA/LondonHE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah ,has announced that Qatar has offered $18mn in contributions to the Somali government to help carry out infrastructure projects, development projects, updating the management institutions and support healthcare and education. In his address before the London Conference on Somalia the minister said Qatar’s offer aims to maintain security, stability and growth of Somlia. The conference, jointly organised by the governments of both Britain and Somalia, aims at attracting international support to the Somali government in quest of reconstructing the state after two decades of disputes. Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah stressed the need for sincere efforts to fight the chaos and corruption and hard and serious work to put aside differences in order to build the state institutions in Somalia, maintain national unity, and restore order and enhance the rule of law and effective partnership between the governmental and non-governmental parties in political, security, economic, social and humanitarian areas. The minister affirmed Qatar’s commitment to contribute to the implementation of the London conference’s resolutions to achieve the aspirations of the Somali people in security, stability and sustainable development. Some of the participating countries have offered contributions to Somalia including Denmark ($70mn for justice), UK $50mn, US $40mn, Europe 40mn euro for the army, Qatar $18mn and Turkey $10mn. Representatives from more than 50 countries and organisations attended the one-day meeting, aimed at helping Somalia in its recovery from over two decades of conflict. Somalia has been torn asunder by factional fighting since 1991 but has recently made progress towards stability. In 2011, Al Shebaab insurgents retreated from Mogadishu and last year new government institutions emerged, as the country ended a transitional phase toward setting up a permanent, democratically-elected government. About 260,000 people died in the famine in Somalia in October 2010 - April 2012, according to a recent report.