UN emergency fund injects $10 million to scale up drought response in Somalia

GOOBJOOG NEWS|GENEVA: United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths has released US$10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to ramp up emergency aid in Somalia, which is looking into the abyss after its worst drought in 40 years.

According to UN OCHA, catastrophic levels of food insecurity have been declared for the first time since 2017, with 213,000 people in famine-like conditions and half the population — 7.8 million people — being acutely food insecure.

 “The clock is running down for people in Somalia. If we don’t step up in force now, it’ll run out and the malnourished children are likely to die first,” warned Emergency Relief Coordinator Griffiths. 

The UN humanitarian chief added that the funding will be crucial in averting a further calamity in the country. “This new funding will help humanitarian agencies get supplies and staff in place as soon as humanly possible to help avert a further catastrophe in Somalia. But it is no solution. We need all hands on deck and all resources mobilized to prevent famine.”

The UN body has put the number of people displaced by drought in Somalia since 2021 at over 1 million, and an estimated 1.5 million children under age 5 facing acute malnutrition. According to the UN, 386,400 children will also require emergency nutrition treatment to survive.

More than 21 million people across eastern Ethiopia, northern Kenya and Somalia are facing high levels of acute food insecurity following four consecutive failed rainy seasons, with a fifth failed rainy season predicted in the coming months, which will escalate needs. 

The UN humanitarian body reiterated that Somalia not only urgently needs assistance to save lives and avert famine, but it also needs substantial investments in livelihoods, infrastructure development and climate adaptation to build resilience to future climate shocks.