Revealed: Amount of money needed to avert famine in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The world needs to urgently raise $1 billion to avert ongoing famine in Somalia, the United Nations humanitarian chief has said, with the Horn of Africa nation expected to continue facing dry season up to next year, further exposing millions of people to death.

In a video briefing from Somalia, Martin Griffiths said a panel of independent experts has warned that Somalia will face the worst famine between October and December “if we don’t manage to stave it off and avoid it as had been the case in 2016 and 2017.”

The humanitarian boss told the UN that more than $1 billion in new funds is needed in addition to the U.N. appeal of about $1.4 billion. That appeal has been “very well-funded,” he said, thanks to the U.S. Agency for International Development, which announced a $476 million donation of humanitarian and development aid in July, AP reports.

Already, the drought has displaced thousands of people besides leaving dozens dead according to official government statistics from Somalia. Most areas around the Bay region especially Baidoa, the regional administrative capital of Southwest are the worst hit.

This is the worst drought in the country for the last ten years, and the UN has warned that should the world fail to act within time, over 7.1 million could be risking death. Several countries among them the US and the United Kingdom have been helping the country curb the current situation.

The humanitarian boss noted that meteorologists have predicted the likelihood of a fifth failed rainy season from October to December, and a sixth failed rainy season from January to March next year is also likely.

“This has never happened before in Somalia,” he said. “This is unprecedented.” “We’ve been banging the drum and rattling the trees trying to get support internationally in terms of attention, prospects, and the possibilities and the horror of famine coming to the Horn of Africa — here in Somalia may be first, but Ethiopia and Kenya, probably they’re not far behind,” Griffiths said.

“Continued drought, the continued failure of rainy seasons, means that a generation’s way of life is under threat,” Griffiths said.

The British diplomat also noted that the war in Ukraine has had an impact on humanitarian aid, with U.N. humanitarian appeals around the world receiving about 30% of the money needed on average, AP adds.

“To those countries, which are traditionally very generous, my own included, and many others,” he said. “Please don’t forget Somalia. You didn’t in the past. You contributed wonderfully in the past. Please do so now.”

GAROWE ONLINE