The United Nations refugee agency has appealed for additional support top help people affected and displaced by drought in Somalia.
UNHCR says Somalia has been hit by a worsening drought in many parts of the country following failed rains in the “Deyr” (October – December 2018) and “Gu” (April-June 2019) rainy seasons.
The agency says that some 5.4 million people are expected to be food insecure by July. Of these, 2.2 million will be in severe conditions needing immediate emergency assistance unless aid is urgently scaled up.
The drought in the Horn of African country has also forced more than 49,000 people to flee their homes since the beginning of the year as they search for food, water, aid and work mostly in urban areas. People who are already displaced because of conflict and violence are also affected by the drought, at times disproportionally.
The worst affected areas include the Sanaag, Sool, Awdal, Bari, Nugaal, Mudug, Galgadud, Hiran regions of the country.
The latest drought has hit at a time when the country was starting to recover from the 2016-2017 drought that caused more than a million people to flee their homes.
UNHCR warns that the severe climatic conditions combined with armed conflict and displacements could push the country into a far bigger humanitarian emergency.
Aid agencies in May launched a drought response plan with a US$710.5 million budget to provide life-saving assistance to 4.5 million people. According to UNHCR, the plan has only been financed up to 20 percent.
The agency has called upon international donors to scale up efforts to bolster the humanitarian response in Somalia.
