MOGADISHU, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The drought emergency in Somalia has significantly deepened, with authorities estimating that 4.61 million people have been affected by prolonged dry conditions across the country, the United Nations (UN) relief agency said Monday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the drought emergency follows the poor performance of the two main rainy seasons and is compounded by funding shortfalls for assistance, further worsening Somalia's already dire humanitarian situation.
The Somali authorities are appealing for urgent assistance to avert a possible collapse of pastoral and farming livelihoods, and preventable loss of lives, the OCHA said in its latest report released in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
The coming four months, the authorities warn, will be decisive because the next rains are not expected until April 2026.
The OCHA said that the upcoming dry season from January to March next year is expected to further exacerbate already observed drought conditions, water scarcity, abnormal livestock migration, and increased livestock deaths are likely, thereby intensifying acute food insecurity in many parts of Somalia.
The UN agency said humanitarians are mobilizing responses, including mapping supply stocks, visiting field locations to assess the severity of the situation, and reviewing available resources for early action in response to the situation, despite being significantly constrained by severe funding shortfalls.
The OCHA said the drought is particularly severe in the central, southern, and northern regions of the country, but it is spreading to other regions as well, pushing already-struggling communities to the edge. The UN emergency relief coordinator has allocated 10 million U.S. dollars from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund for drought early action, targeting over 603,000 people. ■