The United Nations and other humanitarian partners have announced that about $1.5 billion is needed to help 5.5 million of the most vulnerable people in drought-hit Somalia.
Somalia is facing three consecutive failed rainy seasons for the first time in 30 years.
Launching the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for 2022, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said on Monday that it is releasing $17 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to meet the immediate needs of drought-affected communities in the horn of Africa nation.
“To save lives in Somalia and avert another humanitarian catastrophe, we must release funding now so that people can protect themselves from further hunger and impoverishment,” the UN Humanitarian Chief Martin Griffiths said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.
“I count on other donors to follow this lead and urge them to generously support the Somalia Humanitarian Fund,” Griffiths said.
Somalia has endured decades of conflict, recurrent climate shocks, and disease outbreaks, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A prolonged desert locust infestation has also impacted harvests and livelihoods in the country.
The UN estimates that about 7.7 million people in Somalia will require humanitarian assistance and protection in 2022.
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MG/as/APA