Somalia appeals for assistance as drought worsens
Somali government Tuesday called Somali business and international community to act quickly to help those who severely affected by the droughts hit regions in the nations.
The government said the drought was most acute in the regions of Hiraan and Middle Shabelle and several other region.
Minister for justice,Abdullahi Ahmed jama’a Ilka-Jiir said that the rains are poor or late, “then we have a serious crisis on our hands”. Reports the government was getting indicated “large numbers of livestock and a number of people have already died”, he said.
He added that the livelihood of most of the people in Somalia revolved around livestock and if livestock, already weakened by lack of water and pasture, started dying “then it is only a matter of time before people start dying”.
The deteriorating situation was already leading to the massive movement of people and livestock toward the river Shabelle area, which would cause environmental problems and could also contribute to insecurity.
On 15th this month, Four people died of hunger and thirsty in rural areas around Jowhar town as drought continues to unleash severe water shortage.
Mandhere chief, Aweys Hassan Adan, said the three members of one family died over the weekend in his village which is about 15 km Jowhar town and another person died in Ba’aadley village. They were two adults and a six-year-old child.
He said other families are at risk for similar fate if early action intervention is not taken.
“People were very comfortable when they had our animals. But this changed when they lost their animals. They dying one by one” Adan said.
He spelled out that the lives of hundreds of families mainly women and children might be in danger or die of thirst and hunger.
He called on international aid agencies to stand how to help droughts affected Somali people and spare their lives soon.