Number of Somalis affected by drought rises to 7.8 mln: UN

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The number of people affected by the severe drought ravaging several parts of Somalia has risen to 7.8 million as of August, the United Nations humanitarian agency said Friday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said in its latest report on drought released Thursday evening that Bay and Bakool regions of southwestern Somalia are the most affected, where more than 1 million people are affected by drought, including 109,680 people who are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity and 145,931 people who have been displaced.

“The situation has deteriorated in the eight districts — one in Awdal (Lughaye), two in Bari (Bandarbeyla, Bossaso), one in Middle Shabelle (Balcad), two in Sool and Sanaag (Caynabo, Ceel Afweyn), one in Togdheer (Sheikh) and one in Woqooyi Galbeed (Gebiley),” UNOCHA said, noting that more than 671,000 people in these eight districts are affected by drought.

More than 755,000 people have been internally displaced in Somalia because of the severe drought this year, bringing the total figure to 1 million people since January 2021 when the drought began, according to displacement figures released by the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR.

The UN has warned that Somalia’s drought emergency has deteriorated to a point where the country is facing the risk of famine.

It said communities across the country are experiencing one of the most severe droughts in decades, leading to the declaration of a national emergency by Somalia in November 2021.

Xinhua