Not less than $1 Billion needed to prevent famine in Somalia, says UN humanitarian chief

With two more dry seasons anticipated to add to the already historic drought that has affected Somalia, the U.N. humanitarian chief predicted that at least $1 billion will be urgently needed to prevent famine in the country in the Horn of Africa in the upcoming months and at the beginning of next year.

Martin Griffiths said in a video briefing from Somalia’s capital Mogadishu that a new report from an authoritative panel of independent experts says there will be a famine in Somalia between October and December.

Griffiths, a British diplomat, said the war in Ukraine has had an impact on humanitarian aid, with U.N. humanitarian appeals around the world receiving about 30% of the money needed on average.

The UN humanitarian aid chief noted that more than $1 billion in new funds is needed in addition to the U.N. appeal of about $1.4 billion.

He claimed that the U.S. has provided “extremely well-funded” support for that appeal. The US Agency for International Development, in July, declared a donation of $476 million in aid for development and humanitarian causes.

In a report released on Monday, the USAID-founded Famine Early Warning Systems Network predicted that famine would break out later this year in three parts of Somalia’s southeast Bay region, including Baidoa, in the absence of immediate humanitarian relief.

According to a recent analysis, up to 7.1 million people across Somalia require urgent assistance to treat and prevent acute malnutrition and decrease the number of ongoing hunger-related deaths.

The Horn of Africa region has seen four straight failed rainy seasons for the first time in over half a century, endangering an estimated 20 million people.