US announces additional $411m for drought relief in Somalia

GOOBJOOG NEWS|WASHINGTON: The U.S. has announced additional funding to support humanitarian relief efforts in Somalia amid mixed views on the state of the drought in the country.

USAID chief Samantha Power announced Wednesday that the US government was donating an additional $411 to bolter the humanitarian efforts. The sum now brings to $1.3 billion the US aid to Somalia this year alone, Power said.

The US humanitarian chief added that the humanitarian aid had staved famine in Somalia but the situation remained dire.

“Today’s announcement comes as the Famine Review Committee released grim new findings for Somalia. While Famine thresholds haven’t yet been reached, levels of hunger-related deaths and extreme suffering are staggering.,” Power said.

A UN Famine Review Committee said this week that the ‘fact that famine thresholds have not been passed
should not be seen as an improvement in the situation but rather as a continuation of an extremely serious situation.’

Bot the UN and Somali government have said famine has been averted but the Norwegian Relief Council (NRC) warned on Wednesday that Somalia was already steeped in famine.