UK £8m for Somalia drought

The United Kingdom has decided to provide £8m to Somalia for food security, nutrition, clean water, basic health services and livestock vaccination to Somalis affected by the current drought.

Thousands of families haven’t had time to recover from the 2017 drought and are already facing another crisis.

Two failed rains and harsh weather conditions during the dry Jilaal season (January-March) have led to water scarcity, crop failure and an accelerated decline in livestock productivity.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Somalia estimated that 5.4 million Somalis are now projected to be food insecure by July, of which at least 2.2 million are likely to be acutely food insecure.

A spike in drought-induced displacement continues as rural communities flee to urban areas - nearly 45,000 people have moved so far this year.

And severe acute malnutrition rates among children are increasing rapidly, particularly among internally displaced people.

On 20 May, aid agencies in Somalia launched a Drought Response Plan which called for urgent and sustained resources to avert a major crisis. The plan seeks $710m to provide critical, life-saving assistance to 4.5 million drought-affected Somalis in the most severely affected areas this year.

"The drought is affecting millions of Somalis, many of whom have had to leave their homes and livelihoods in desperate search of basic necessities. This funding will provide life-saving assistance to thousands of Somalis living in desperate conditions," said Phil Evans, DFID Somalia.

"The number of people at risk will continue to grow if nothing is done. We’ve learnt lessons from the past and know that acting early saves lives and makes sense."