Somalia is notorious for being the operational ground for the al-Shabaab terrorist group. And now, a totally different trouble is on the Somali horizon. Recall that in 2011 famine killed over a quarter of one million people in Somalia. Recall also that half of this number died before the official declaration of famine, caused by drought, war and lack of access to humanitarian aid
The UN says that about 6.2 million people in Somalia – half the population of the country – need emergency aid, such as food, water and shelter, due to unprecedented drought and ongoing conflict. It has therefore appealed for $1.6 billion bail-out.
The drought – spanning four consecutive poor rainy seasons – has forced millions from their homes and left hundreds of thousands of children malnourished. One in four people in the Horn of Africa nation faces the risk of hunger.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, said donors raised enough funds in 2017 to avert famine and stave off an outbreak of cholera, but the situation is likely to worsen this year without sufficient aid.
According to the Head of OCHA in Somalia, Peter de Clercq, “We are likely to see sectors such as shelter being sub-funded, and then you will see people out in the open, with no adequate shelter – and having very little to conduct their lives with. We will also see more children with acute malnutrition, and there will be fewer children in school”.
The country has been marooned in conflict since 1991. Its weak, Western-backed government is struggling to assert control over poor, rural areas under the Islamist militant group al Shabaab – challenging the delivery of aid to areas where it is needed most.
Somali Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Khayre, thanked the international community for the $1.3 billion raised last year, but warned there was no room for complacency. “We face similar challenges and risks this year and the years to follow,” said Hassan.
The Prime Minister did not mince words, “Drought and conflict will continue to affect the lives of millions of Somalis. They will continue to displace thousands more. I request on behalf of the government and Somali people for continued support from international partners.”
