Mogadishu, April 11 (AFP/APP): Visiting UN chief Antonio Guterres appealed Tuesday for significant international support for Somalia as it battles a desperate humanitarian crisis caused by “a perfect storm” of drought and protracted armed conflict.
Guterres said at a press conference with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu that he was on a “visit of solidarity” to the troubled Horn of Africa nation, where five million people are facing high levels of food insecurity.
Somalia’s worst drought in decades has driven many to the brink of famine, while the government is also engaged in a major offensive to quell a bloody Islamist insurgency.
“This combination of terrorism and drought, largely caused by climate change, creates a perfect storm for the people of Somalia and requires massive support from the international community,” Guterres said during a visit to a camp for internally displaced people.
“The people I met have lost their livestock, they have lost their property, they have lost everything,” he told reporters in the drought-hit district of Baidoa.
The United Nations has launched a $2.6 billion call for humanitarian assistance, but Guterres said the appeal was only 15 percent funded.
“The international community has been absent-minded in relation to the drama of the people of Somalia,” Guterres said.
– ‘Victims of climate change’ –
Mohamud said the UN chief’s two-day visit, the first since March 2017, was also a gesture of solidarity “towards the government and the democratic process of Somalia”.
“This visit ensures that the United Nations is fully committed to support our plans for state building and stabilising the country,” his office said in a statement.
Five successive failed rainy seasons in parts of Somalia as well as Kenya and Ethiopia have led to the worst drought in four decades, wiping out livestock and crops and forcing at least 1.7 million people from their homes in search of food and water.
While famine thresholds have not been reached in Somalia, the UN says about half its population will need humanitarian assistance this year, with 8.3 million affected by the drought.
Adding to the woes, seasonal rains in March led to flooding that claimed the lives of 21 people and displaced more than 100,000, according to the UN, which warned that the rains were unlikely to be enough to improve the food security outlook for many.
“Although Somalis make virtually no contribution to climate change… the Somalis are among the greatest victims,” Guterres said.
Follow the PNI Facebook page for the latest news and updates.
