Over 13 million people have been reportedly affected by drought in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. This was the report from the visitation to these sites carried out by a group of international delegates. The Humanitarian Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General, Ahmed Al-Meraiki, stated that there is an urgent need for the international community to rally round to help restore this communities.
“During our visit to Ethiopia and Somalia we witnessed first-hand the dire situation facing millions of people in this part of the world. The affected communities we spoke to expressed a deep desire to build their own resilience and not to rely on aid efforts indefinitely. International support is critical to restoring livelihoods and enabling families to cope in these difficult circumstances.”
According to a report from Africa Newsroom, it is stated that about 200, 000 people are currently displaced in Koracale. It is also learnt from the report that another 200, 000 displaced persons are Kabasa.
The report reads that: “The delegation travelled to Koracale camp in Ethiopia’s Somali region which hosts 200,000 displaced people in dire need of food and safe water to survive. In Somalia, they met with displaced families and toured a cholera treatment centre in Kabasa, a settlement housing 200,000 displaced persons in Gedo region. More than 48,600 cases of cholera/Acute Watery Diarrhoea, including 763 deaths, have been reported in Somalia this year.”
Following this, immediate interventions have been noticed from International communities as pledges and donations are hitting millions of dollars already. African Union has contributed US$100, 000 in support, complimenting the US$ 1.1 billion from the African Development Bank. It is also reported that the World Bank will contribute US$ 50 million to support Somalia.
At a press conference in Nairobi on Tuesday, the African Union announced an immediate contribution of US$100,000 as a solidarity gesture to Somalia. This comes after the African Development Bank’s recent announcement of a US$1.1 billion package to combat drought and famine in six countries, including Ethiopia and Somalia.
“The World Bank will contribute US$50 million to scale up livelihoods and resilience efforts in Somalia, and plans to support the UN in developing a framework for economic recovery. The Bank has mobilized more than US$184 million through its Multi-Partner Fund for Somalia and has a US$9 billion portfolio of development assistance and investments in Ethiopia.
“In a show of solidarity and in the spirit of Ramadan, Qatar announced US$10 million in humanitarian assistance for Somalia and US$3 million for Ethiopia. The assistance will address critical needs identified by the humanitarian community and be provided through Qatari NGOs working with the United Nations.”
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