Hassan Istiila
Friday November 10, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Action Against Hunger Somalia has received a £4 million bilateral grant from the British Embassy in Mogadishu to address the adverse effects of El Niño in South Central Somalia.
The six-month grant will provide integrated emergency life-saving Health, Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), and Protection support to nearly 1 million vulnerable Somalis.
The grant signing ceremony, held at Action Against Hunger's Regional office on Friday, marked the commitment of the UK government to supporting humanitarian efforts in Somalia.
"Through this partnership, we hope to provide humanitarian assistance to populations in south-central Somalia affected by El Nino. This is our first partnership with ACF (Action Against Hunger), and it's a testament to your interventions' impact in Somalia," Damon Bristow, Development Director at the British Embassy Mogadishu, said.
Albert Siminyu, Regional Director of Action Against Hunger, expressed the organization's unwavering commitment to addressing urgent needs in South Central Somalia.
He highlighted the significance of collaboration to mitigate the devastating impacts of El Niño, saying, "We are excited about this partnership and looking forward to not only saving lives in the affected region but also establishing a support system to enable the affected communities to rebuild their lives," he said.
According to Action Against Hunger Somalia, the anticipated flooding from El Niño is expected to exacerbate the already challenging humanitarian situation caused by prolonged droughts.
El Nino, a naturally occurring weather phenomenon, causes surface waters of the central and eastern Pacific to warm, affecting weather patterns worldwide.
The Caafimaad Plus Consortium, the largest Health and Nutrition Consortium in Somalia, will implement the project. The consortium comprises five international and three local humanitarian organizations led by Action Against Hunger.
Two days ago, the federal government of Somalia reported that at least 29 people have been killed and more than 305,000 people displaced following heavy rains and flash flooding in south-central Somalia.
The Commissioner of the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), Mahamud Moallim Abdulle, stated that the El Nino rains had the most severe impact on Jubbaland and the South West regional states, particularly in the Gedo, Bay, and Bakool regions.
In response to this dire situation, the federal government declared a state of emergency on Monday. Emergency responders have been working to reach those still trapped by floodwaters in various Jubbaland and South West States districts.