Nunay Mohamed, 25, who fled the drought-stricken Lower Shabelle area, holds her one-year old malnourished child at a makeshift camp for the displaced on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia, June 30, 2022. The crisis in Ukraine has abruptly drawn millions of dollars away from longer-running humanitarian crises and Somalia is perhaps the most vulnerable as thousands die of hunger amid the driest drought in decades. (FARAH ABDI WARSAMEH / AP)
MOGADISHU – An estimated 112,448 people have been displaced in June by a severe drought that is ravaging several parts of Somalia, a 231 percent increase compared to May, the United Nations humanitarian agency said on Wednesday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said this significant increase in displacements was driven by the Banadir region, which received 60 percent of the new arrivals.
According to the UN, nearly 50 percent of Somalia's population – 7.7 million people – require some form of humanitarian or protection assistance, of whom 7 million are estimated to be affected by the drought
Banadir is an administrative region in southeastern Somalia and covers the same area as the city of Mogadishu, which serves as the capital.
Banadir excluded, main new arrivals have been observed in Lower Shabelle (6 percent), Sool (6 percent), Togdheer (5 percent), Gedo (4 percent), and Mudug (4 percent) regions.
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The UN agency on June 24 appealed for US$993.3 million to provide life-saving and life-sustaining assistance to prevent famine and respond to the drought in Somalia by December.
The OCHA said the impact of the drought and increasing economic pressures are deepening the severity of needs and driving the country to the brink of famine.
According to the UN, nearly 50 percent of the population – 7.7 million people – require some form of humanitarian or protection assistance, of whom 7 million are estimated to be affected by the drought.
READ MORE: UN: Drought causes large-scale loss of life in Horn of Africa
Ali Abdullahi Mohamed, a severely malnourished 27-month-old boy, is examined by a nurse for treatment in Banadir Maternity and Children Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, on June 1, 2022. Four consecutive seasons of inadequate rain have left millions of drought-stricken people in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia facing starvation. (ED RAM / AFP)