OCHA warns that drought and armed conflict put 7.6 million Somalis on the brink of famine

8 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned this Wednesday that 7.6 million Somalis are on the verge of famine due to severe droughts and the internal armed conflict that the country is suffering and has requested 2.6 billion dollars to be able to face the crisis.

Famine is a real possibility between April and June if humanitarian aid is not maintained, on which 8.25 million people depend -almost half the population- if the next rains are not enough, as indicated current weather forecasts.

OCHA’s humanitarian coordinator in Somalia, Adam Abdelmoula, stressed that although the efforts of local communities and increased humanitarian aid helped contain the famine in 2022, “millions of lives remain at risk.”

Somalia is currently suffering from the most severe and prolonged drought in its recent history, after the fifth consecutive season of insufficient rains recently ended, causing the displacement of more than 1.4 million people, the death of at least 3, 5 million head of cattle and the destruction of other livelihoods.

“The people of Somalia are paying the price for a climate emergency that they have not contributed to creating,” lamented the deputy prime minister of the government, Salá Jama, who has called on the international community not to allow this crisis to fall into oblivion.

Although the technical famine thresholds have not been reached, OCHA insists that “the situation is extremely alarming”, as there has been an “unusual” increase in the number of deaths.

Added to the food crisis is a health crisis, since nearly eight million people lack access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. “Measles and cholera cases have increased compared to recent years.

The internal armed conflict does not help to alleviate this situation either, since the fighting and insecurity continue to hinder the distribution and access of this humanitarian aid.

So far, humanitarian organizations, local communities and government authorities have stepped up responses and have managed to reach 7.3 million people by 2022, but more and new resources are needed, as well as the implementation of a plan to remove the obstacles that exist so that this assistance can reach the people in need.