Aid agencies in Somalia appeal for $105m to stem drought effects in northern Somalia

Humanitarian agencies in Somalia have called for $105 million to scale up critical, lifesaving assistance for close to 2 million Somalis as drought ravages northern parts of Somalia.

The appeal which is part of the $885 million 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), is prioritised to assist drought affected people in Somaliland and Puntland where cases of human death and livestock decimation have been reported.

While launching the appeal in Nairobi Thursday, UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator for Somalia Peter de Clercq said the situation was fast running out of and that consequences will be grave if funding is not secured.

“We have reached a critical point in Puntland and Somaliland. Urgent action is required right now. If not, we risk a rapid and deep deterioration of the situation, as drought conditions may worsen in the coming months. Communities are already losing their means of survival. The time to fund is now to come back from the tipping point, avoid a greater crisis and avert loss of lives and save livelihoods,” said Clercq.

The agencies said an estimated 1.7 million people in Puntland and Somaliland are in dire need of humanitarian assistance and livelihood support. Of these, 1.3 million people are at risk of slipping into acute food insecurity if they do not receive assistance. Nearly 385,000 people already face acute food insecurity, the agencies said.

These regions are currently experiences drought in part attributed to El Niño rains which hit the regions late last year.

Federal Government

Somali government last week announced a $1 million support to avert death and suffering in various parts of the country. Goobjoog News correspondents in Middle Shabelle and Beletweyne regions say cases of death of people and livestock have been recorded owing to the drying up of River Shabelle which in the lifeline of thousands of people in the regions.

“Loss of livestock due to poor pasture and water availability is negatively impacting family income and causing a sharp rise in indebtedness. Without access to emergency health services, water and sanitation, thousands of people could face death due to preventable causes,” the agencies noted Thursday.

The aid agencies in January launched $885 million appeal for the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and has today indicated that only 11 per cent or $97 million of these has been realised.

The Call for Aid covers the six-month period from April to September and builds on the 2016 HRP and the 2015 Contingency Plan for El Niño in Somalia.