Somalia and the UN have launched a joint appeal for $1.09 billion to support four million Somalis who projected to face starvation this year. The 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) predicts that an estimated 5.9 million people will need assistance this year.
Four million people will face acute food shortage this year owing to the combined effects of disease and climate shocks, the UN and Somali Government Monday have said as they appealed for international aid.
The two sides said in a joint statement while launching a $1.09 billion appeal for 2021 that about one million more Somalis will face critical food shortage this year compared to last year.
The funds will cater for access to basic services such as food, shelter and health services, the UN official said noting the triple impact of COVID19, desert locusts and floods had compounded an already fragile situation driving millions more into starvation.
According to the UN, 2.3 million people facing starvation in Somalia were reached for aid support in 2020 against a target of 3 million. An additional one million people will need emergency food assistance this year.
The federal government of Somalia clearly emphasizes the Government’s position that humanitarian needs in Somalia cannot be addressed by the delivery of life-saving assistance alone and it highlights that there are opportunities for development actors to contribute to strengthen resilience of Somalis.
By Hussein Jama
February 16, 2021
