SOS Children's Villages mourns death of Italian nurse in Mogadishu / Three Italian nurses working for SOS Children's Villages evacuated from Somalia

Wien (ots) - SOS Children's Villages mourns the tragic death of
Italian Sister Leonella Sgorbati, 66, who was responsible for the
setting up and operation the nursing school at the SOS Hospital in
Mogadishu, the only hospital with a functioning maternity ward and
gynaecological care facility in Somalia.

On 17 September 2006 at approximately 12:20, Sister Leonella was
leaving her workplace and was on her way to the SOS Children's
Village opposite the SOS Hospital, when she and her bodyguard were
shot at by gunmen. The bodyguard died immediately while Sister
Leonella died shortly afterwards in the operating room at the SOS
Clinic.

"The worldwide family of SOS Children's Villages deeply mourns the
death of Sister Leonella Sgorbati, who dedicated her life to carrying
out humanitarian and development work in Africa. For the past four
years and in spite of the dangerous situation in Somalia, Sister
Leonella worked tirelessly in the setting up and operation of the
nursing school of SOS Children's Villages in Mogadishu, which offered
young people the opportunity to complete a nursing course," said
Helmut Kutin, president SOS Children's Villages. "The entire SOS
Children's Villages family feels the pain of this tragic loss, and
our deep condolences go to Sister Leonella's family, to all the
Sisters in her Order and her many colleagues and friends at SOS
Children's Villages in Mogadishu."

Three Italian nuns working on a voluntary basis for the
international children's welfare organisation in Mogadishu were
immediately evacuated from Somalia on Sunday evening by Willy Huber,
the regional director of SOS Children's Villages for East Africa.
Following the wish of Sister Leonella, her body was brought to
Nairobi where she will be buried later this week.

Sister Leonella trained as a nurse in the UK and went to Nairobi
as a member of the Consolata Order in 1970. She worked at the Madari
Hospital Nyeri and the Nazareth Hospital in Nairobi and was principal
of the Nkubu Nurse Training School before she went to Mogadishu to
set up the nursing school and a four-year nursing programme at the
SOS Clinic in April 2002, where she has served as the Principal ever
since. The first group of students recently completed the four-year
nursing programme. According to her fellow Sisters in Nairobi, Sister
Leonella was a very sociable person who had a special gift for
communication, especially with her students.

About SOS Children's Villages:

SOS Children's Villages, a private and non-governmental and
non-denominational social development organisation for children, is
active in 132 countries and territories. 444 children's villages and
354 youth facilities provide more than 60,000 children/youths with a
new home. More than 137,000 children/youths attend SOS Kindergartens,
SOS Schools and SOS Vocational Training Centres. Around 385,000
people benefit from the services provided by SOS Medical Centres and
230,000 people benefit from SOS Social Centres. SOS Children's
Villages also helps in situations of crisis and disaster through
emergency relief programmes.

SOS Children's Villages has been working in Somalia since the
early 1980s and for many years was the only international
organisation providing humanitarian aid in the south of the country.

Originaltext: SOS-Kinderdorf International
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Contact:

Adriana Pontieri
International Press Officer
Tel: +43 1 368 2457 - 2185
adriana.pontieri@sos-kd.org
Website: http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/