U.S ups aid response to Somalia, announces additional $476 million

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The U.S. has announced close to half a billion dollars in additional funding to stem the biting drought in Somalia as government and aid agencies ramp up calls for international response to stave off a looming famine.

The USAID announced an additional $476 million in humanitarian and development assistance following a visit to Somalia by the agency’s head Samantha Power on Sunday where she met President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

A statement from USAID noted that it was disbursing $461 million in humanitarian assistance to enable partners to scale up humanitarian response in various parts of the country. A further $15 million will ‘help farmers stay productive by equipping them with vouchers to obtain seeds and tools, maintaining and extending canals so they can water their crops, and providing community grants to improve and build storage and processing facilities.’

However, USAID said that $15 million in development assistance would be subject to congressional approval.

The new funding raises to $707 million the amount of funding the U.S has delivered to Somalia during the 2022 financial year.

Speaking in Mogadishu, Power said the situation in Somalia called for an urgent international response to stem a deadly crisis.

“This drought is not like past droughts. The threat of famine is looming for millions of people; the world must step up immediately to avert catastrophe,” Power said.

The UN estimates that more than 200,000 Somalis currently face an imminent risk of famine with over 7 million facing acute food shortages.

Somalia has experienced four back-to-back drought seasons exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, locust infestations and effects of the previous drought. The Russian war on Ukraine has also worsened the situation as it has cut off imports of food products such as wheat from Ukraine.