The UK’s Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian
Affairs, , visited Somalia this week to
call for a concerted effort to prevent millions of people losing
their lives to the threat of famine.
While in Somalia, Mr Dyer announced an additional $8 million
(£5.5 million) package of UK support to deal with the effects of
the drought. This is in addition to the $10 million announced by
the UK’s Minister for Africa, in January 2022.
The funding will go towards providing vital assistance, such as
cash to buy urgent food supplies and water to vulnerable families
across Somalia.
While in Somalia, the Special Envoy held meetings with Jubaland
State President Ahmed Madobe and South West State President,
Mohamed Abdiaziz Hassan Laftagareen, two leaders of the worst
affected regions to discuss the extent of the worsening drought.
Mr Dyer also held meetings with Somalia’s Prime Minister Mohamed
Hussein Roble, where they discussed the severity of the
humanitarian needs. Mr. Dyer noted that the situation will lead
to extreme losses and further instability, unless collective and
scaled up action is taken now.
, UK Special Envoy for Famine
Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs, said:
The lives of people in Somalia are on the line. We know from 2017
when we and partners acted early, lives were saved. We can and
must provide the assistance that the most vulnerable need and
save lives.
Over 90% of the country is affected by the drought with the food
security situation likely to deteriorate rapidly leaving at least
a third of the population, 4.6 million Somalis facing
crisis-to-emergency-level food insecurity from February to May
2022.
The drought has worsened an already excessive levels of suffering
in a country where 50% of the population needs humanitarian
assistance. A fifth of the population (2.9m people) are already
displaced as a result of previous humanitarian crisis. There is a
very real prospect that this will grow to almost a third if, as
anticipated, a further 1.4m are displaced as a result of this
year’s drought.
Over 271,000 have already abandoned their homes in search of
food, water and pasture; making Somalia the most severely drought
affected country in the Horn of Africa.
The UK is supporting the humanitarian response in Somalia through
critical infrastructure development such as water dams which will
help over 72,000 people across the country. Over 500,000 Somalis
will also receive cash assistance to buy urgent food and water
thanks to new UK support.
