Somali drought: Gov’t announces $1m relief aid

By Agence de Presse Africaine Last updated Nov 29, 2021

The United Nations on Friday warned of what it called a rapidly worsening drought situation with water, food and pasture shortages threatening to reach“ extreme levels” by April 2021. Somalia currently faces its fourth consecutive season without rainfall, worsening the famine situation in the country. Some 5.9 million people across Somalia are in dire need of…

APA-Mogadishu (Somalia) The Somali government on Saturday announced a $1million relief aid for over two million people affected by drought in the central and south of the country

The United Nations on Friday warned of what it called a rapidly worsening drought situation with water, food and pasture shortages threatening to reach “extreme levels” by April 2021.

Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble a chaired the meeting of the country’s Drought Relief Committee before announcing the relief.

PM Roble has instructed the committee to provide immediate assistance to the worst affected areas.

Somalia currently faces its fourth consecutive season without rainfall, worsening the famine situation in the country.

Hundreds of thousands of people in central and southern regions of the drought-hit country have already left their villages in search of food, water and pasture for their livestock.

Some 5.9 million people across Somalia are in dire need of relief assistance, a number which is set to rise by 30 percent, to some 7.7 million in 2022.

Intermittent insecurity caused by more than a decade-old insurgency by the militant group al-Shabaab has been blamed for the worsening humanitarian situation.

WN/as/APA