Ian Ridley, head of the
U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, in Somalia
says there are almost eight million people in need of assistance and over one
million people who have been internally displaced.
Somalia has already
experienced four failed rainy seasons dating back to October 2020, Ridley told
VOA’s Somali service.
Although it should be
the beginning of the rainy season in Somalia, Ridley said, the forecast
indicates the period will not bring the much-needed moisture.
"We’re all hoping and
praying that the rains will come, but based on the recent patterns I think the
weather forecast and the climatologists are telling us there’s a high
probability that this next rainy season from October to December will fail,” he
said in a telephone interview Sunday.
"That increases the
risk of famine, and I would say we are teetering on the edge of famine
particularly in Baidoa, and Burhakaba and particularly amongst IDPs (Internally
Displaced Persons) in Baidoa.”
He said humanitarian
agencies are now focusing all efforts on Baidoa and Burhakaba districts.
"The humanitarian
community is really scaling up in support of the government to support people
there to ensure that we can avert famine,” he said.
Humanitarian groups
threatened
He said agencies are
facing challenges including security and accessibility, which increases worries
about the humanitarian situation in areas controlled by the Islamist militant
group, al-Shabab.
"What we’re concerned
about are people in the rural areas that are more difficult to reach, areas
that are under the control of non-state armed groups, al-Shabab specifically,”
he said. "We’re concerned about those areas, but we must continue to push out of
the cities and towns into the rural areas and reach as many people as
possible.”
Last week, officials in
Somalia’s Jubaland state said the al-Shabab militant group killed 12 people
drilling a well in the vicinity of Geriley village. The attack was preceded by
al-Shabab raids targeting water wells in Galmudug and Hirshabelle states which
the group destroyed in apparent retaliation of the local populations’
mobilization in support of government operations.
Meanwhile, a
humanitarian worker in Somalia who requested not be identified for safety
reasons told VOA Somali that on Saturday suspected al-Shabab militants also
fired on a vehicle belonging a local aid organization in the south of the
country.
"That marks a worrying
turn in the situation when humanitarians are targeted. We do get worried,”
Ridley said. "We need to understand exactly what’s happened before we draw
conclusions, but I think it is reasonable to assume that there are forces,
non-state armed groups in these areas that don’t want humanitarians doing their
work. So, it’s a huge concern.”
Infrastructure at risk
On the recent clashes
between the federal government forces supported by local fighters on one hand,
and al-Shabab, Ridley said he is concerned that humanitarian workers can "get
caught up” in the crossfire of the fighting. Another concern is that when there
is a conflict in an area, telephone masts, clinics, schools, grain stores and
water points are destroyed, he said.
"So, this new conflict
marks, if you like, an increase in the number of people that are requiring
humanitarian assistance.”
He said all sides to
the conflict need to respect their obligations under international humanitarian
law to allow aid workers to get unfettered access to populations, and for
civilians to have access to assistance as well.
"Humanitarians shouldn’t
be targeted, assistance should not be diverted, and humanitarian space needs to
be given so that the national NGOs (non-government organizations), the
international NGOs and the United Nations can get on with their work and serve
people in need.”
VOA
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