UN humanitarian chief visits Somalia amid looming famine

Mohamud has praised the UN for its continued assistance to the Somali people affected by the drought which is currently on the brink of turning into famine after failed rainy seasons for 4 consecutive years.

News Keydmedia Online
1 September 2022

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator arrived in Mogadishu, the Somali capital on Thursday.

The President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud received the UN OCHA head, Martin Griffiths, at Villa Somalia, where they discussed a range of issues related to ongoing severe drought and climate change.

Mohamud has praised the UN for its continued assistance to the Somali people affected by the drought which is currently on the brink of turning into famine after failed rainy seasons for 4 consecutive years.

For his part, Martin Griffiths said that the UN OCHA will support Somalia in the efforts to deal with the widespread effects of climate change and the drought as 7.8 million people are facing food insecurity.

Griffiths is the first high-level UN official to visit Somalia since the drought began last year. His trip comes amid reports that the UN is planning to declare a famine in the long-chaotic Horn of Africa country.

We cannot wait for famine to be declared; we must act now to safeguard livelihoods and lives,” Rein Paulsen, Director of the FAO Office of Emergencies and Resilience said, following a recent Somalia visit.

Due to the drought and lack of livelihood support, people living in eight areas of the country could be experiencing famine by September 2022.

Rising acute food insecurity in Somalia caused over 900,000 people to flee their homes in search of humanitarian aid since January last year, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned.

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