NAIROBI, March 3 (Xinhuanet) -- The United Nations on Friday appealed for safe access to southern Somalia following the release of a UN staff by his abductors in Afmadow in the region.

    UNICEF staff member Robert McCarthy who was abducted by Somali kidnappers on Wednesday has been reunited with his family in Nairobi Friday.

    "Aid workers should be able to operate without fear and we appeal again to all political and religious leaders, elders, the business community and opinion leaders in Somalia to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers and the critically-needed assistance they deliver, especially during the current drought," said UNICEF Acting Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator Christian Balslev-Olesen in a statement.

    "We cannot save lives if we cannot reach the communities that are in need, and we are not guaranteed safe passage," Balslev-Olesen added.

    Upon his arrival McCarthy thanked the local community, the elders and the Somali Transitional Federal Government for their support while he was in Afmadow and said he would want to continue to work in Somalia.

    McCarthy was abducted on the outskirts of Afmadow in Lower Jubaregion of Somalia on Wednesday and was released unharmed approximately 30 hours later. Enditem