MOGADISHU – The Somali government on Saturday provided one million U.S. dollars in emergency assistance to help citizens who have been affected by the worsening drought.
Prime Minister Mohamed Roble who chaired a meeting of the drought taskforce committee in Mogadishu directed the committee to channel the resources to the worst affected populations.
In a statement released after the meeting, Roble said the government is making every effort to provide humanitarian assistance to the affected people.
He said the Council of Ministers will contribute 20 percent of their salaries to help supplement drought efforts and called on the entire Somali community to stand by the affected citizens amid the worsening drought.
About 2.6 million people, close to 22 percent of the population in 66 out of the 74 districts across Somalia are affected by worsening drought, the United Nations said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said nearly 113,000 people are displaced by drought across the country.
Somalia is experiencing a worsening drought following three consecutive failed rainy seasons, and is at risk of a fourth consecutive underperforming rainy season in 2021, according to the UN.
The move comes as the Somali government on Tuesday declared a state of emergency on the severe drought situation in the country.
President Mohamed Farmajo on Saturday said he will donate his November and December salaries to the relief effort in aid of drought victims.
“The funds shall be used to cater for our beloved citizens widely affected by the severe droughts across our Republic,” Farmajo said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.
The UN has warned that some 3.5 million Somalis already face acute food insecurity and without urgent and scaled-up support, the situation will likely deteriorate further.
It said food insecurity and acute humanitarian needs have been reported across all sectors, with more than 5.9 million people currently in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.
