Somalia receives $137.5 million from World Bank for COVID-19, floods and locust invasion response

MOGADISHU, Somalia - International lender, World Bank, has approved $137.5 million for Somalia's response to the Coronavirus pandemic, flash floods, and locust invasion, it said in a statement, a significant boost to the Horn of Africa nation.

For months now, the war-torn nation has struggled to contain desert locusts which invaded sometimes in November 2019, leading to mass destruction of crops thus subjecting the country to unprecedented food crisis which could expose millions to possible deaths.

And in the middle of the locust invasion, floods have also wreaked havoc in Somalia for almost six months now, leading to several deaths and displacement of people especially along the Indian Ocean coastal strip, authorities said.

The latest town to battle floods in Beledweyne in central Somalia, which was orchestrated by River Shebelle which had broken its banks. Early this month, six people died and dozens went missing following the floods in the region.

But even more devastating, the country is staring at a real crisis following the Coronavirus pandemic, which has seen over 1,377 people battle with the virus. According to the health ministry, 55 people have since died from the virus as of Saturday.

To help the country which is battling with shadows of civil war and Al-Shabaab menace, World Bank approved the money in a bid to cushion the vulnerable population. Over 70 percent of Somalis live in abject poverty, the lender said in a statement.

A taskforce, Somalia Crisis Response Project [SCRP] has been put in place to provide "immediate support" to the areas hit hardest by the crisis by strengthening the government's systems and capacity for disaster preparedness, added the statement.

Felipe Jaramillo, the World Bank Country Director for Somalia said the aid was indispensable given the unending disasters in Somalia, which has been on a "tremendous" recovery path following decades of inter-clan conflicts and endless political feuds.

“Increasingly frequent and devastating crises are impeding Somalia’s chances of breaking out of a cycle of fragility and poverty. Even as it recovers from drought, Somalia faces a triple shock of locust, flooding, and now COVID-19,” he said.

“Thanks to Government-led reform of institutions and public finance, Somalia now has access to IDA, including the Crisis Response Window, and is able to respond in a timely manner.”

Up to 1.7 million Somalis who are in immediate danger will be receiving aid from the team, particularly the farmers, Internally Displaced Persons [IDPs] with a strong focus on women and children, World Bank added in a statement.

All those affected by COVID-19, floods, and locusts will receive the aid, which will focus on cash transfer services for the vulnerable, aerial spraying of the locust infested regions and promotion of household hygiene, it added.

The Federal Government of Somalia announced dispatched helicopters to locust infested areas early this week. The helicopters will spray pesticides in all affected areas besides evacuating those in flood-prone regions to safer grounds, officials said.

Abdirahman Duale Beileh, the country's finance minister, said the federal government under President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo will work closely with regional states to mitigate the crises which threaten millions of people in the impoverished nation.

“The Project reinforces the leadership of the Federal Government of Somalia [FGS] and the Federal Member States towards ushering in sustainable and resilient recovery from the multiple crises afflicting the country as a means of further strengthening state-citizen trust,” he said in a statement.

“FGS sees this project as a key opportunity for effectively addressing a humanitarian-developmental transition and laying the foundation for the implementation of a longer-term investment in the recovery and development of the country.”

The support would significantly help the help department acquire ICU beds and ventilators, which are fundamental in the fight against COVID-19. Currently, the Martini Hospital, which is the only known isolation and treatment facility, is overwhelmed by rising cases of Coronavirus, officials said.

Somalia's figures for infection have officially surpassed Djibouti, which despite its 1,309 cases, has the lowest death rate. Somalia is closely followed by Kenya on the number of deaths which reached 50 on Saturday according to the country's health department.

GAROWE ONLINE