King and Crown Prince offer condolence to Iranian president over the deadly port explosion    stc reports strong first-quarter 2025 results with 11% rise in net profit    Virgin Atlantic celebrates one month of nonstop service between London and Riyadh    Saudi Awwal Bank records SR2.1 billion net profit after zakat and income tax for 1Q25    Mahmoud Abbas appoints Hussein Al-Sheikh as PLO vice president in key succession move    Saudi Arabia's entertainment sector attracts 76 million visitors in 2024    Third round of US-Iran nuclear talks concludes with cautious optimism    Multiple casualties reported after vehicle drives into crowd at Vancouver street festival    Duran leads Al Nassr past Yokohama Marinos into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Al Ahli cruise past Buriram into AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia offers condolences to Iran following deadly Bandar Abbas port explosion    Saudi Arabia deports 12,866 illegal residents in a week    SFDA clears first 44-ton medical shipment for Hajj pilgrims    Ministry of Hajj issued over 150,000 Nusuk cards for the Hajj of 2025    Saudi orchestra to perform at Sydney Opera House in May    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Poor seasonal rains threatening ‘foundations' of thousands of Somali livelihoods
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 13 - 03 - 2021

Poor rain forecast for the next few months threatens to exacerbate the plight of tens of thousands of Somalis displaced from their homes and villages due to "extreme" water shortages since last November, the UN humanitarian office said on Friday.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that pre-drought conditions have already been reported in parts of Somaliland, Puntland, Hirshabelle, Galmudug and Jubaland regions of the Horn of Africa country after the poor seasonal rains late last year.
"The loss of rain-fed pasture is threatening the survival of livestock which is the foundation of many Somalis' livelihoods. Displaced people have told [us] that they are moving in search of water and pasture for their animals," he added.
An estimated 2.7 million people in Somalia, including about 840,000 children aged under five, are at risk of "crisis level" of food insecurity "or worse", between April and June — the main rainy season in the country, Laerke added.
"That is an increase of more than 65 percent compared to current levels. Water shortages will also increase the risk of disease outbreaks."
Response efforts
He went on to note that humanitarian organizations are delivering water to some 300,000 people in affected areas, and $13 million has been released from the Somalia Humanitarian Fund to step up response efforts.
A rapid response allocation of $7 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is also on its way, and up to $20 million will be released to fund anticipatory action in Somalia, the OCHA spokesperson added.
A complex, multi-layered crisis
Somalia has been plagued by a complex, multi-layered humanitarian crisis for decades, further complicated by conflict, climate shocks, disease outbreaks and weak social protection mechanisms.
Since last year, Desert Locust infestations and the COVID-19 pandemic have added to the challenges.
In 2021, an estimated 5.9 million people across Somalia — including 15 percent women and 66 per cent children — are expected to require humanitarian support.
UN and humanitarian partners aim to reach about 4 million vulnerable people with life-saving assistance through the year, for which they require about $1.09 billion. However, only 2.5 percent of that amount has been secured so far.
The appeal responds to humanitarian programs across eight emergency clusters, spanning education, food security and livelihoods, health, logistics, non-food items (NFIs) and emergency shelter, nutrition, protection, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). — UN News


Clic here to read the story from its source.