Tuesday December 21, 2021
BELEDWEYNE (HOL) - Several districts in the Hiiraan region are facing a humanitarian crisis due to the widespread drought that has hit many communities in Somalia, according to residents and aid agencies.
The worst affected areas in the Hiiraan region include the northern part of Beledweyne and as well as Mataban, Mahas, Bula Burte and Jalalaqsi districts.
The people most affected by the severe drought are mostly pastoralists whose livestock have been decimated by the drought in recent months and are experiencing extreme hunger and thirst due to the failed Deyr rains. Many have begun to be displaced by the drought and have sought assistance from aid agencies.
So far, almost no government or administrative assistance has been provided to the areas most affected by the drought, except for young volunteers who assist in water trucking for the people around Beledweyne, despite their little capacity.
Ishilqan Youth Association, a youth organization that has been working to help the needy, has in the past few days provided water trucking services to the needy in Beledweyne and Feerfer towns in the Hiiraan region.
The chairman of Ishilqan Beledweyne Youth Association, Abdikadir Haji Ali alias Dadir Ali Yare, who spoke to HOL, said that the living conditions in the rural areas of Hiiraan are currently facing is dire.
"As young people, we raise money and donate water to the worst affected areas. We are not collecting money from our own pockets to meet the needs of the people affected by the drought." Dadir Ali added that "if the situation continues like this, there will be starvation and thirst in many areas."
Hiiraan is now the third region severely affected by the drought, with Gedo and Lower Juba regions.
The UN projects that 7.7 million people in Somalia will need assistance and protection in 2022, marking a 30 percent spike in just one year. As a result, on Monday, the UN and partners launched an ambitious $1.5 billion Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for the country