The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has called for urgent and adequate funding to avert the dangers of the climate crisis in Somalia.
The UN agency, in a statement, said the time to act was now, advising donors against waiting until famine is declared in the country before responding to the crisis.
Somalia is experiencing back-to-back drought seasons, with more than 200,000 people facing imminent risk of famine as fears grow over a possible failed fifth rainy season.
More than 900,000 people in rural areas across the country have been forced to move into camps for internally displaced persons since January 2021 due to drought and the lack of livelihood support.
There is a reasonable chance of famine in eight areas by September if crop and livestock production failure is widespread, according to FAO projections.
‘We are deeply concerned about the drought situation and how vulnerable households are being affected’, FAO’s Director for Emergency and Resilience, Rein Paulsen, said in the statement.
‘I have just spoken with a family of seven. They came here [to a displaced persons camp] seven months ago. They came here because their livestock had died. They came here because they had no means to survive in the rural areas. Where they were living was more than 100 kilometres away.
‘Hunger response begins in rural areas, at the centre of the crisis where food producing communities are hardest hit by drought.
‘We cannot wait for famine to be declared; we must act now to safeguard livelihoods and live’.
Agriculture accounts for up to 80 percent of Somalia’s employment and 60 percent gross domestic product, making it vitally important to frontline humanitarian response.
Source: FAO
Photo source: AMISOM Public Information