DevDiscourse
Friday May 24, 2019
Government of the United Kingdom is providing a mammoth amount of £8
million for humanitarian support to Somalis affected by the current
drought. The funds will go towards providing food security, nutrition,
clean water, basic health services and livestock vaccination. This
additional support will provide a significant boost to those affected by
the drought.
Many thousands of families have not had time to recover from the 2017
drought and are already facing another crisis. Two failed rains and
harsh weather conditions during the dry Jilaal season (January-March)
has led to water scarcity, crop failure and an accelerated decline in
livestock productivity.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Somalia
estimated 5.4 million Somalis are now projected to be food insecure by
July; of which, at least 2.2 million are likely to be acutely food
insecure. A spike in drought-induced displacement continues as rural
communities flee to urban areas - nearly 45, 000 people have moved so
far this year. Severe acute malnutrition rates among children are
increasing rapidly, particularly among internally displaced people.
On May 20, aid agencies in Somalia
launched a Drought Response Plan which called for urgent and sustained
resources to avert a major crisis. The plan seeks $710 million to
provide critical, life-saving assistance to 4.5 million drought-affected
Somalis in the most severely affected areas this year.
"The drought is affecting millions of Somalis, many of whom have had
to leave their homes and livelihoods in desperate search of basic
necessities. This funding will provide life-saving assistance to
thousands of Somalis living in desperate conditions. The number of
people at risk will continue to grow if nothing is done. We have learnt
lessons from the past and know that acting early saves lives and makes
sense," Department for International Development (DFID) Somalia Head, Phil Evans opined.