Somali Aid Group Requests Urgent Aid to Assist with Humanitarian Crisis

In a recent report by Oxfam International, it was stated that nearly 90 percent of Somalia is facing severe drought conditions after three consecutive failed rainy seasons. The 2022 Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan is only about 30 percent funded with nearly 7.7 million people - half of the population, still requiring urgent humanitarian assistance, an increase of 30 percent compared to 5.5 million in 2021. The driest season in 40 years has left many families displaced, an increase in livestock deaths, failed crops, and millions on the brink of famine. VOA’s Simegnish Yekoye alongside her co-hosts Auriane Itangishaka, Amina Aliyu, and Ndimyake Mwakalyelye spoke to Aydrus Daar, executive director of WASDA, Wajir South Development Association about how this Somali aid group is partnering with Oxfam to improve food insecurity in the Horn of Africa. Severe drought conditions compounded with COVID-19, locust invasion, and the rising prices of food and fuel because of the Ukraine war has created a humanitarian crisis in the region. Aydrus explains the dire need for support for those suffering in Somalia and believes African governments need to invest in fostering agriculture as a long-term solution.