The United Nations (UN) has called on Somalia to facilitate humanitarian access to drought-prone areas of Somalia amid an imminent risk of famine, James Swan, the head of the UN Assistance Mission (UNSOM), told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Swan said 7.8 million Somalis have been severely impacted by the worst drought in four decades and areas facing water shortages are at the risk of famine. He noted that while humanitarian support to address the issue has been generous, assistance needs to be “further scaled up.” He said this is critical to ensure that the country could mitigate some of the effects of the famine.
“I call on all parties in Somalia to facilitate humanitarian access. I call on all of Somalia’s friends to increase urgently the needed funding,” Swan pleaded.
In his remarks to the #UNSC, @UN Special Rep. James Swan highlighted the need for #Somali leaders to take further measures to ensure the meaningful participation of #women, #youth and historically marginalized groups across #Somalia's institutions of government. pic.twitter.com/znH6WVwi1K
— UNSOM (@UNSomalia) September 7, 2022
Several UN organisations have recently raised alarm bells regarding Somalia’s worsening hunger crisis. On Tuesday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) warned that Somalia has reached a “tipping point,” as the lives of hundreds of thousands are at immediate risk of drought-induced famine.
Noting that millions face “extreme levels of acute hunger,” the UNOCHA urged the international community to provide “urgent assistance to avert a worst-case scenario.” The agency said that the crisis in Somalia has been “largely overlooked” and “funds for these life-saving activities have not reached the scale needed,” despite local authorities, governments, UN agencies, and NGOs issuing multiple warnings for over a year.
“In a world of staggering wealth, it is unacceptable that people are dying of hunger. We must take action now,” the agency emphasised.
📢🚨Window of opportunity to prevent #famine in #Somalia is closing
— Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) (@iascch) September 5, 2022
It is unacceptable that people are dying of #hunger. We must take action now.
We urge all actors to facilitate immediate & safe access for humanitarian operations.#IASC Statement👉https://t.co/nQD12l0wba pic.twitter.com/HfldiHnhuX
Likewise, UN relief chief Martin Griffiths on Monday warned of an “unfolding humanitarian catastrophe,” saying, “I have been shocked to my core these past few days by the level of pain and suffering we see so many Somalis enduring.” Noting that “famine is at the door” of Somalia, Griffiths said “today we are receiving a final warning” to urgently address the needs of the country.
Apart from Somalia, other countries in the Horn of Africa like Kenya, Djibouti, and Ethiopia are also facing varying levels of hunger crisis due to the ongoing drought. According to estimates, the region’s intense drought will push nearly 20 million people towards starvation by the end of the year. The severe levels of aridity have been attributed to the effects of climate change and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that tens of thousands of tonnes of grain would arrive in the coming weeks in Somalia. The country depends on Ukraine and Russia for 90% of its wheat exports and so Zelensky’s announcement is expected to bring some relief.