Somalia on the Verge of a Climate Crisis
GHRTV Reporter
6-12-2021
Cătălina Gemănari
Africa and Human Rights Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.
A joint statement on worsening drought issued by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and UN OCHA Somalia shows the alarming rate at which the drought has progressed in the country. This is the fourth consecutive time when the rainfall season will not follow due to severe climate conditions. The lack of rain is expected to cause an extreme situation by April 2022. Millions of people already experience water, food and pasture scarcity.
Water-borne diseases are also likely to appear due to unsafe portable water, hygiene and sanitation. The crisis has caused 100,000 people to abandon their homes to find food provisions. This situation shows that Somalia is experiencing a climate crisis that may cause severe drought and famine. While the current number of people who need assistance and protection is at 5.9 million, the number might rise to 7.7 million in the next year. The climate crisis comes on top of decades of conflict and disease outbreaks in Somalia.
Sources and further reading:
Statement on Worsening Drought, 20 November 2021, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and UN OCHA Somalia, https://mohadm.gov.so/download/joint-statement-on-worsening-drought-2021/?wpdmdl=1056
