BY MENGESHA AMARE
ADDIS ABABA— Some 3.7 million people in Somali State are in dire need of humanitarian aid due to drought, so disclosed the State Communication Bureau. Speaking to the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), the Communication Bureau Head Abdulqadir Reshid said that the drought has occurred in all zones of the state, but, Shebele, Dawa and Afdher have the worst drought.
As to him, of the 3.7 million citizens exposed to severe problems due to the drought, it is possible at present to address solely 1.3 million ones, this means that 2.4 million citizens are in dire need of emergency assistance. He further stated that close to 340,000 cattle including camels are died of drought, and about 60,000 are highly at jeopardy.
The government along with a number of charity organizations has been doing a lot to provide drought-affected citizens with humanitarian aid, animal fodder and other necessary inputs especially in hard-hit ones like Afdher, Dawa and Shebele he said adding that it is not sufficient comparing to the need. Citing the commencement of coordinated steps to rein the magnitude of the drought since last January, Abdulqadir said animal fodder has been produced in the state using the fund secured from World Bank.
“Coordinated undertakings are underway to overcome the challenge apart from setting up a command post for the purpose of meticulously looking into the magnitude of the drought. However, it is impossible to sufficiently access all zones as the problem is quite vast,” he added. According to Abdulqadir, the people affected are being supported using safety net run by World Food Program, but the problem might be exacerbated since all people of the zone have been recipients of safety net.
He finally urged the government to continue supporting the state, and requested international aid organizations, all Ethiopians, foreigners of Ethiopian origin to exert combined efforts since the issue could not be left only to the federal government and the state itself.
THE ETHIOPIAN SATURDAY 11 MARCH 2023
