Somalia declares a state of emergency due to drought

Mogadishu, (ST) – Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Robley declared a state of emergency in the country due to the drought that is sweeping it.

Somali media quoted Robley as saying during a cabinet meeting that the current drought threatens many Somalis. He called on the international community to help those in need who have been affected by this drought caused by the lack of monsoon rains.

 International reports indicated that millions of Somalis have suffered from acute shortages of food and water.There is concern that a humanitarian catastrophe will occur if urgent aid is not provided to those affected.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that, about 2.3 million people, or about a fifth of the population of this country located in the Horn of Africa has very little water. It added that, “river courses and wells have dried up.”

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Somalia pointed out that there is a very worrying situation, as more than 96,000 people have already left their homes, especially in the center and south of the country, due to the lack of enough food and water.

It is noteworthy that Somalia has witnessed 12 droughts, as natural disasters in recent years have been the main reason for population displacement in Somalia, which suffers from instability and is among the countries most vulnerable to the repercussions of climate change in the world.

Raghda Sawas