Friday May 25, 2018
A picture taken on May 19, 2018 shows a general view of houses affected by by Tropical Cyclone Sagar in the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah. Tropical Cyclone Sagar made landfall in Yemen late in the morning on May 19. PHOTO: ABDO HYDER / AFP
NAIROBI, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of victims of a devastating
cyclone that hit Somaliland on May 19 are in dire need of food, clean
water and basic health services, said global charity World Vision in a
statement issued in Nairobi on Friday.
Cyclone Sagar tore through the north-western coastline of Somaliland,
leaving in its wake 47 deaths, destruction of homes and massive
displacement of civilians.
Simon Nyabwengi, the Country Director of World Vision's Programs in
Somalia and Somaliland, said the heaviest storm to hit the Horn of
African state in modern history has caused severe damage to livelihoods
that may take longer to repair.
"The cyclone comes on the heels of a series of natural
disasters-severe drought that had left more than half of the population
in need of humanitarian support and ongoing floods that have destroyed
crops, homes and businesses," Nyabwengi said.
"People urgently need food, shelter, essential household items like
blankets and soap, health services and clean water particularly families
that are displaced and hosted in temporary camps," he added.
So far, he said, an estimated 1.2 million people have been affected
by Cyclone Sagar, hence worsening their vulnerability to hunger,
malnutrition and poor health.
The World Vision has already dispatched a consignment of essential
commodities to victims of Cyclone Sagar and has appealed for an
additional 600,000 U.S. dollars to support the most vulnerable victims
of the latest disaster to hit Somaliland.