Somalia, UN launch $1 billion appeal for 2020 humanitarian response

One billion dollars will be required to provide life-saving assistance and livelihood support to 3 million Somalis this year, a joint appeal by Somali government and the UN notes.

The 2020 Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan launched in Mogadishu Wednesday aims to provide food assistance, support those displaced by climatic effects and conflict amounting to 1.7 million people.

UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia Adam Abdulmoula noted there was need to explore long term solutions to the perennial food shortage in the country calling for humanitarian assistance to be development focused.

“As we implement the HRP, the UN and its partners are working to ensure that emergency and development assistance complement each other in line with the Government development plan in order to achieve long-term recovery and resilience,” said Adam Abdulmoula, Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia. “That means we must increasingly focus on the humanitarian-development nexus to stimulate long-term development and to address the underlying causes of Somalia’s crises.”

The plan aims to provide food assistance monthly to 2.1 million people, support access to education for more than 300,000 children, provide health assistance to 2.5 million people, deliver safe water to more than 1.2 million people and non-food items to 1.24 million people, and address conflict-related protection concerns including the risk of gender-based violence.

According to the plan, funding requirement has decreased by 11 per cent (or US$120 million) from $1.12 billion in 2019 to $1.03 billion

The HRP focuses on four core objectives: reduce the prevalence of acute malnutrition and health needs; meet the basic needs of people across 74 districts; strengthen protection, right to safety and dignity; and enhance capacity of IDPs and non-IDPs to cope with significant shocks.

Humanitarian affairs minister Hamza Said Hamza said the plan complements the government efforts in addressing humanitarian challenges in the country.

‘’The Federal Government of Somalia is fully committed to working with all humanitarian agencies operating in the country to implement the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan,” said Hamza Said Hamza, Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management. “The response plan complements ongoing Government efforts to address the humanitarian and livelihood crises in the country.”