₹20,000 Crore Funding Gap Threatens Life-Saving Relief in Somalia
Mogadishu (The Uttam Hindu): The World Food Programme (WFP) has called for nearly ₹21,000 crore in funding to bolster its humanitarian aid efforts in Somalia until May with approximately 5.98 million people expected to require assistance during this period. The situation remains dire driven by poor rainfall forecasts prolonged dry conditions and ongoing armed conflict. The organization identified a significant funding gap of ₹20,000 crore critical to providing life-saving relief and nutrition support. Nearly 4.4 million Somalis—about a quarter of the population—are grappling with acute food insecurity while 1.6 million children under five are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition between August 2024 and July 2025. The call for additional funding highlights the need to scale up humanitarian and resilience programs to address the impacts of an anticipated drought exacerbated by challenges like security concerns, rising food prices and insufficient rainfall.
The WFP also reported that conflict has led to 476,000 new internal displacements in 2024, accounting for over half of the total displacements, with the remainder caused by climate shocks. This situation continues to stretch the coping mechanisms and resilience of millions of Somalis. Moreover the Deyr rains from October to December 2024, influenced by La Nina conditions were poor, contributing to widespread vegetation loss. The harsh Jilaal dry season from January to March further threatens food security.While a report in July 2024 showed a decrease in food-insecure people, thanks to improved rainfall and sustained aid, the lingering effects of historic droughts, conflict, insecurity, and the aftermath of El Niño-induced floods still take a severe toll on vulnerable communities in the country.