<
https://theconversation.com/no-time-for-complacency-somalias-unfolding-famine-catastrophe-184939>
"Somalia is on the brink of catastrophe. A recent assessment suggests that 7.7
million Somalis need emergency aid right now, a similar number to those
affected by the Ethiopian famine in 1984, one of the worst humanitarian
disasters in history. About one million people died then.
The warnings have been coming for some time.
The immediate trigger for the likely famine is three successive years of failed
rains leading to the worst drought in the Horn of Africa for four decades.
Underlying that are rising temperatures from climate change. Compounding
factors include longstanding political and social fractures, with decades of
conflict and poor governance.
Somalia is also strongly affected by the Ukraine-Russia war. It gets 90% of its
wheat from that region which makes up two-thirds of the Somalian diet. The
prices of cooking oil, beans, rice and sugar have also doubled from the
conflict’s secondary consequences: higher costs for fuel, transport and
agricultural inputs like fertiliser.
Humanitarian agencies have appealed to donors for assistance. The UN has asked
for US$1.46 billion. The International Red Cross Red Crescent requires a
further US$14.2 million. This is much more than what Somalia’s received so far.
By mid-2022, the UN appeal for Somalia had received US$280 million. With
another US$208 million provided outside the appeal, Somalia has garnered
overall a shade under US$0.5 billion in humanitarian funding.
As a humanitarian expert, I urge the international community not to be
complacent. Extra humanitarian aid is vital to save lives and relieve
suffering. The Somali government doesn’t have the capacity to support affected
communities and personal coping strategies will be overwhelmed."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
