The United Nations Organization (UN) requested help on Wednesday from the international community to raise 2.6 billion dollars to curb the risk of famine in Somalia, an African country immersed in the worst drought in the last 40 years.
READ ALSO:
Cholera cases rise to 36 in eastern Zambia
With these funds, the UN and its humanitarian partners will provide assistance to some 7.6 million people who require immediate protection to survive, facing the threat of a famine that would arrive between April and June, if vital aid is not maintained.
The UN also described the situation as alarming and expressed concern about the upcoming rainy season, which for the fifth time may not provide enough water, according to current forecasts.
The UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, Adam Abdelmoula, acknowledged that in 2022 the famine was averted due to the efforts of local communities and the increase in humanitarian assistance; but he warned that this year the lives of millions of people are at stake.
In this regard, Somali Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama stressed that his people “are paying the price for a climate crisis that they did very little to create.”
The past five failed rainy seasons in Somalia and other Horn of Africa nations have displaced an estimated 1.4 million people, killed 3.5 cattle and destroyed livelihoods in those communities.