UN: Prolonged drought in Somalia destroying lives

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Prolonged drought in Somalia could slide into famine, a number, not United Nations [UN] agencies have noted, adding that it could destroy the lives of millions of people due to limited humanitarian assistance in the Horn of Africa nation.

On Tuesday, the Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO], the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA], the United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF], and the United Nations World Food Programme [WFP] called for an immediate injection of funds to enable a scale-up of life-saving assistance in Somalia.

This follows the release of a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification [IPC] report that found six million Somalis, or almost 40 percent of the population, are now facing extreme levels of food insecurity, with pockets of famine conditions likely in six areas of the country.

“The projection for the risk of famine in six locations is extremely worrisome and should serve as a very serious warning if we really meant ‘never again’ after 2011. The reality is that time is not on our side and many more lives and livelihoods are bound to be lost in case of further funding delays,” said Adam Abdelmoula, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.

“I, therefore, continue to call on the authorities and our development partners to act decisively and help scale up resources to match the rapidly increasing needs, save more lives and rescue more livelihoods for the people of Somalia, “added Mr. Abdelmoula.

According to the teams, humanitarian agencies have so far reached two million people with humanitarian assistance as of February 2022, but a critical gap in donor funding means they cannot sustain and scale up their support to meet the growing needs.

If this gap is not urgently addressed, the agencies noted, it will contribute to worse outcomes with a real risk of widespread famine. The last time such a humanitarian tragedy struck Somalia was in 2011 when famine conditions killed a quarter of a million people.

“The funding we need to respond to a crisis of this magnitude has simply not come. We are all watching this tragedy unfold and our hands are tied,” said Etienne Peterschmitt, the FAO Representative in Somalia. “I want to stress that it is not too late. Funding received today can still prevent the worst, but it has to come at scale and it has to come very soon,” he said.

Around 1.4 million children face acute malnutrition through the end of this year, with around a quarter of them, or 330,000 children, facing severe acute malnutrition. Deaths have been reported in Jubaland and parts of Galmadug according to the government, which has since declared a state of emergency.

"The lives of children are at risk. If the funding gap is not met, malnutrition rates will continue to soar, and children may face severe malnutrition and preventable diseases. Losing children to starvation would be a loss for humanity,” said Angela Kearney, UNICEF Somalia Representative. “Addressing drought-related indicators now will also greatly increase a child’s future opportunities.”

The response to the drought is severely underfunded, leaving many Somalis without assistance. The 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan that seeks US$1.5 billion is only 4.4 percent funded, as Somalia competes with other global emergencies for funding.

“We are literally about to start taking food from the hungry to feed the starving,” said WFP Somalia Representative and Country Director El-Khidir Daloum.

“Being forced to prioritize our limited resources couldn’t come at a worse time as we’re on the cusp of a humanitarian catastrophe in Somalia. This is a year of unprecedented humanitarian needs and hunger but I implore the world not to turn its back on Somalia or wait until it’s too late. Millions of lives are at stake.”

Somalia is also embroiled in an electioneering period that is yet to conclude, a year later. Sharp divisions have emerged within the government, pitting outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble.

GAROWE ONLINE