(Ecofin Agency) - In a statement issued earlier this week,  Somalia's Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Khadija Mohamed Diriye (photo), called on the international community to urgently scale up aid operations to help more than 2.7 million Somalis.

"The food insecurity situation is already extremely concerning and unless aid providers can immediately scale up aid operations in some pre-drought-hit areas, it will leave disastrous consequences for the millions of our people," she indicated.

In 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic, food insecurity was exacerbated by floods and locust infestations that destroyed crops in the country, which is one of the poorest in Africa. According to the latest report from the Africa CDC, in Somalia, 10,214 positive Covid-19 cases were recorded causing over 441 deaths.  

The coronavirus pandemic has not been contained in the country yet and, according to Minister Diriye, pre-drought signs are already appearing in the Gedo province of Jubaland, the southwestern state, Puntland, Galmudug, and Somaliland. Those pre-drought signs are "pushing millions of people into acute food insecurity, with dire consequences for marginalized and displaced communities," she adds.

Therefore, Somalia calls on the "international community, private sectors, and civil society organizations to continue providing sufficient humanitarian funding to save lives."

Let’s note that in February 2021, the Somali government, in collaboration with the UN, launched a $1 billion humanitarian response plan for the country. The plan was initiated to assist 4 million people, including those displaced by famine and conflict, host communities, refugees and returnees.

Moutiou Adjibi Nourou