Millions on verge of starvation in Somalia

Almost four million people in war-torn Somalia are on the verge of starvation, as the East African country continues to grapple with a prolonged drought that has left many without water and livelihood.

According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, one in four people in the country of 15.4 million are facing high levels of acute food insecurity.

Additionally, more than 800,000 children under the age of 5 are at risk of acute malnutrition unless they receive immediate treatment and food assistance. 

The organization said multiple threats of outbreaks such as acute watery diarrhea, measles, malaria and COVID-19, are worsening the country's humanitarian situation.

The socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19, which  has infected 16,039 and killed 863 as of Aug 11, is likely to worsen nutrition outcomes among vulnerable groups, including poor households in urban areas and internally displaced persons.

Due to increasing food prices, unemployment and reduced income-earning opportunities, many vulnerable families are now living in crowded, unhygienic conditions and makeshift shelters.

"Somalia is one of the riskiest places on earth to live right now. The country is a catalogue of catastrophes. Climate-related disasters, conflict and COVID-19 have coalesced into a major humanitarian crisis for millions of people. We can't keep talking about this, we must reduce suffering now," said Mohammed Mukhier, the Africa regional director for International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Mukhier said Somalia is vulnerable to extreme climatic conditions, including repeated cycles of drought, seasonal floods and tropical cyclones. 

The country has also been grappling with the impact of desert locusts since last year. 

Over the years, Somalis have regularly been experiencing loss of livelihood, food insecurity, malnutrition and a scarcity of clean water. 

The humanitarian aid organization said 70 percent of the country's population lives in poverty, and 40 percent is estimated to be living in extreme poverty.

Mukhier said despite their efforts to support vulnerable communities, resources are not keeping pace with need.

"We are doing our best to contribute to the reduction of hunger and disease. But, frankly speaking, available assistance remains a drop in the ocean, given the scale of suffering," Mukhier said.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is appealing for $8.4 million to support the Somali Red Crescent Society to deliver humanitarian assistance to 563,808 people in Somaliland and Puntland over 18 months.

The funding challenge in humanitarian operations in Somalia was also echoed by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 

In a humanitarian bulletin published on Wednesday, the UN agency said despite generous donor contributions, humanitarian needs in Somalia remain high. 

It said key clusters crucial to the prevention of disease outbreaks are critically underfunded; with health funded at 20 percent and water, sanitation and hygiene at 11 percent.

The UN agency said 5.9 million people, almost half of Somalia's population, are at risk of losing access to life-saving assistance and protection services. 

"If action is not taken to address this funding gap, the cost could be catastrophic," it said.

Meanwhile, the Somalia Humanitarian Fund Advisory Board, a multi-donor country-based pooled mechanism mandated with the allocation of funding for the most urgent life-saving interventions in Somalia, has endorsed a $26 million for aid response in the country.

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said funding will focus on areas with acute water shortages brought by prolonged droughts, as well as flood-affected populations in hotspot locations in Hirshabelle. 

The UN agency said $17 million will provide strategic support to selected cluster-specific priorities, while $9 million will be used for integrated interventions.

"Close to two-thirds of the $26 million will back priority activities in Food Security, Health, Nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene clusters," the agency said. 

"Prioritized activities will help address food insecurity in Jubaland and Hirshabelle states through supply of agricultural inputs including seeds, farming tools and irrigation support, as well as improve immediate access to food through provision of cash and vouchers."