The UN allocates 17.4 million euros to Somalia to combat famine in areas affected by drought

Nov. 4 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, Adam Abdelmoula, announced this Thursday the allocation of 17.39 million euros to the Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF) to provide immediate assistance to communities at risk of famine in priority places due to drought. that plagues many communities in the country.

“Famine is knocking at the door in Somalia and millions of people are at risk of starvation unless humanitarian assistance is increased and sustained,” Abdelmoula said in a statement issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of International Affairs. Humanitarians (OCHA).

“This allocation is critical because the number of people affected by drought has more than doubled since the beginning of 2022 and humanitarian workers urgently require additional funds to meet the growing needs,” he said.

Somalia is the country most affected by the drought in the Horn of Africa: at least 7.8 million people have been affected, of which one million have left their homes in search of water, food and pasture, according to United Nations data. United.

However, the UN has lamented that the revised 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Somalia requires 2.32 billion euros to respond to the needs of 7.6 million people in the African country.

So far, donors have contributed 1,094 million dollars (47 percent), which has allowed partners to reach about 6.5 million people with some form of assistance, although the UN has indicated that they are needed ” more funds” to meet the growing needs of the population.

“We are in the midst of a fifth consecutive unsuccessful rainy season with the possibility of a sixth early next year,” Abdelmoula warned.