The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has announced that it plans to mobilize $186.2 million for Somalia.

The funds are aimed at helping the population meet the humanitarian and health needs induced by the covid-19 pandemic and to strengthen household food security.

While floods and locust invasions pose a huge risk of famine in the country, the increasing number of cases of coronavirus contamination has exacerbated the vulnerabilities of the poorest, particularly due to restrictive measures that have severely slowed economic activity.

According to the United Nations, to date, only $37 million, or 16.4% of the total funding required has been mobilized for Somalia. “Almost half of the funding so far received has been distributed across multiple clusters including health, protection, nutrition, and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene),” the agency said.

As a reminder, 3,161 people have been infected with the coronavirus in Somalia, according to the latest assessment of the African Union: 93 have died and 1,495 have recovered.

Moutiou Adjibi Nourou