AFRICA

1.4 M SOMALIA PEOPLE RISK DISPLACEMENT AMID A WORSENING DROUGHT

1.4 M SOMALIA PEOPLE RISK DISPLACEMENT AMID A WORSENING DROUGHT
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Faith Nyasuguta 

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has warned that several lives might be lost and over a million people displaced if no action is taken to avert the effects of the worsening drought in Somalia.

Presently, 245,000 Somalis have been displaced due to the drought, with the number expected to hit 1.4 million in 2022 amid a worsening situation in several parts of the East African nation.

At the moment, the drought has affected some 3.2 million people in Somalia, about 20 per cent of the population, putting them at risk of water and food insecurity, malnutrition, rising commodity prices, crop and livestock losses, and safety risks, according to NRC.

“Humanitarian efforts are underway, but available resources are insufficient to meet increasing and urgent needs,” NRC said via a Friday press statement.

Most of the displaced Somalis arriving at a displacement camp in Kismayu, southern Somalia, decry the loss of their livestock.

The drought in Somalia is worsening by the day /Courtesy/

The council further said their staffers have reported rising numbers on drought-tied deaths, malnourished children, and people searching for aid.

“To avert the humanitarian disaster unfolding before our eyes, we are asking donor countries to provide the funding necessary to ensure lifesaving assistance for the millions of people affected by one of the worst droughts in the last decade,” Mohammed Abdi, NRC’s Somalia country director said.

The fresh charity’s appeal comes following the United Kingdom’s Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford’s announcement on the UK giving Somalia $10.3 million to avert the effects of the drought.

Somalia residents have decried the loss of their livestock /Courtesy/

Over 874,000 people are currently displaced in Somalia, with drought accounting for 28 percent. 

With the looming crisis, drought could become the leading cause of displacement in Somalia, after conflict and insecurity which currently accounts for 62 percent of displacements.

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Faith Nyasuguta