Climatic shocks continue to affect Somalia, says UN Humanitarian Coordinator

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Climatic shocks continue to affect Somalia, says UN Humanitarian Coordinator

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) - An estimated 5.2 million people in Somalia need humanitarian assistance, according to the 2020 Humanitarian Needs Overview. These include 1.7 million people who have been displaced by conflict, insecurity, forced

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Mr. Adam Abdelmoula, UN Humanitarian Coordinator and Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Somalia. (PHOTO: UNOCHA).

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) - An estimated 5.2 million people in Somalia need humanitarian assistance, according to the 2020 Humanitarian Needs Overview. These include 1.7 million people who have been displaced by conflict, insecurity, forced evictions, droughts and floods.

According to Adam Abdelmoula, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia;, the main factors driving humanitarian needs in Somalia include food insecurity, climate related shocks, conflict and heightened protection risks. People with disabilities face additional vulnerabilities.

Currently up to 2.1 million people across Somalia are expected to face food consumption gaps and over 2.4 million Somali people require lifesaving essential healthcare and nutrition services. About 1.3 million boys, girls, pregnant and lactating women suffer from acute malnutrition, with 180,000 children under 5 suffering from life threatening severe malnutrition. An estimated 3.7 million people need protection-related assistance, 1.37 million children (including 691,295 girls) need assistance to either stay or enroll in school, 2.2 million people need shelter and non-food items, and 2.7 million people require assistance to access basic WASH services in 2020.

Interview with Mr. Adam Abdelmoula, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia

Q: Since you arrived in Somalia in September 2019, what is your assessment of the humanitarian situation and the aid operation?

Abdelmoula: It is an undeniable fact that Somalia is making strides in building a peaceful, prosperous and resilient nation. Still, many challenges, including climatic shocks continue to affect large parts of the population, particularly vulnerable groups, including internally displaced persons, many of whom become displaced several times due to man-made and natural disasters.

Q. What is your main priority this year?

Abdelmoula: Many families are still recovering from the 2016/17 drought and 2.6 million Somalis remain displaced. Recurring climatic shocks and ongoing conflict require comprehensive, sustainable solutions that build resilience in communities to ensure they are able to deal with crises. We must find ways to address these challenges in a manner that will break the cycle of humanitarian emergencies and enable people to bounce back from shocks.

Q. What do you think needs to be done to achieve this?

Abdelmoula: We as international partners must continue supporting recovery and resilience initiatives. The recent Somalia Partnership Forum held in October gave us an opportunity to agree on a number of tangible commitments between the Government and the international community through the Mutual Accountability Framework. Together, we can build on our successes and produce lasting results.

Q. How important is the humanitarian-development nexus to ending humanitarian needs and reducing poverty in Somalia?

Abdelmoula: The importance of the nexus cannot be overstated. It is a triple nexus – comprising humanitarian/development/peace elements, all of which are crucial in achieving sustainable progress. I applaud the Government’s efforts in prioritising these components and we will continue to support Federal, State and local authorities in these initiatives as we strengthen our partnership in this worthy endeavour.

(HORN OBSERVER)