Thursday October 24, 2019
MOGADISHU, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The UN migration agency has called for proper sanitation for 2.6 million Somalis who remain displaced within the country.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said there is an urgent need for the provision of shelter and water for the most affected regions, such as Baidoa, the capital of Bay region of Somalia.
"We have new arrivals here coming every day, every week. The biggest gap for the new arrivals is food, water and shelter -- that is the main challenge," Ali Ahmed, an IOM field officer in Baidoa said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to IOM, the Horn of Africa nation which has for almost three decades been in the throes of conflict, now adds the latest drought and the result is displacement and food shortages.
"In the first half of the year, forced displacement in Somalia was primarily due to insecurity, drought and floods, and currently a total of 2.6 million people remain displaced within the country," IOM said.
Aid agencies, in collaboration with Somalia, launched a Drought Impact Response Plan in June following the declaration of a severe drought in the Horn of Africa region.
According to the UN agency, out of the 15 million people living in Somalia, 5.4 million were estimated to be food insecure with 2.2 million of these in severe acute food insecurity conditions.
"The needs are immense, and IOM is working together with the government, communities, and international partners to provide the much-needed support, ensuring their basic needs are met," said Dyane Epstein, IOM's Chief of Mission.
According to IOM, more than half of the population lives in poverty with the highest poverty rates found in displacement settlements, with affected populations mainly coming from Lower Shabelle, Bakool, Bay and Sanaag and heading towards Middle Shabelle and Banadir.
Baidoa, the capital of Bay region, hosts one of the largest IDP populations in Somalia.