Somali Drought Response Committee to dispatch disaster response teams to Hargeisa

Somali Drought Response Committee is sending disaster response teams to Hargeisa town of the breakaway Somaliland to try to address a humanitarian emergency before the drought there spiral out of control.

Severe drought exacerbated by El Niño conditions has hit parts of Puntland and Somaliland, affecting hundreds of thousands of people.

Sheikh Nour Barud Gurhan who is the chairman of the committee said they will provide Somaliland with money to address the current drought situation.

Over 30000 Us dollars has been pooled on Saturday after drought fundraising held at Goobjoog News.

The United Nations’ aid chief for Somalia begged for cash on Thursday to stave off starvation amid intense drought affecting a million people and to pull the war-torn country “back from the tipping point.”

“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,” UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Somalia Peter de Clercq said, appealing for $105 million (92 million euros) for “life-saving” aid for more than one million people.

“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,” he told reporters in Nairobi.

Acute water crisis has hit some villages in Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan regions following a drought that has shrunk pasture and water resources in the region.
Pastoralist families are facing a serious shortage of water and pastures after several water points dried up the last few months as a result of dry spell that has hit in the breakaway Somaliland and Puntland state.
Thousands of Somalis have fled the countryside in search of food and water, trekking for days under scorching sun toward camps in major towns.