Hiiraan Online
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Action Against Hunger (ACF) on Friday said the humanitarian crisis is hampered by lack of adequate funding casting doubt on the livelihood of thousands of famine-famished Somalis.
In a press statement ACF which is a global humanitarian non-governmental organisation said 2.85 million people in the Horn of Africa country are severely hit by humanitarian crisis.
“The current humanitarian response is hampered by lack of adequate funding. Facing this dramatic situation, ACF urges the international community to act now by providing immediate sufficient support to avoid a looming famine” read part of the ACF statement
“In the quasi absence of relief organizations in Southern Somalia, Somali families having lost most of their cattle and livelihoods have no other choice than leaving to seek life saving aid in Mogadishu or in the neighbouring countries”
And just as the double tragedy of the endless conflict and the ravaging dry spell bite severely in the south of country, skyrocketing food prices is yet another huge problem.
“The current crisis in Somalia has been occasioned by a combination of drought and subsequent dramatic increase of food prices, compounded by a protracted conflict, resulting in a more acute nutritional crisis” said ACF
The international charity said prices of essential commodities in the south drastically reduced the purchasing power of many farmers with poor harvest and many more herders who lost their livestock in the current disaster.
“50kg maize currently costs 30 USD in Wajid (Bakool) and 45 USD in Mogadishu, an unaffordable price for a vast majority of the population. These erratic food prices are likely to remain the same at least until next year” ACF added
The agency said the situation in Mogadishu continues to deteriorate due to a huge number drought-displaced families trooping to seek aid in the restive capital.
It says more than 410,000 displaced people are now living in the outskirts of the capital Mogadishu, where hundreds more arrive each passing day.
In Somalia ACF has a manpower of 217 employees and it is significantly up scaling its interventions in response to current the humanitarian emergency. Acute shortage of food and water are some of the critical sectors where the organisation is up scaling.