UNHCR calls for $137mln urgent assistance to 3.3mln citizens in the drought-stricken HOA

Addis Ababa, February 28, 2023 (FBC) – The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR has appealed for US$137 million to provide life-saving aid to 3.3 million refugees and internally displaced people who have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety and assistance, as well as affected local host communities in the Horn of Africa.

As the Horn of Africa enters its sixth consecutive rainy season with no rain, displacement continues to climb as millions from Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya struggle to survive amid scarce water sources, hunger, insecurity and conflict.

With no immediate end in sight to one of the longest and most severe droughts on record, UNHCR made the call to address the impacts of severe drought in the region.

While famine has so far been averted in Somalia, mostly due to a stepped-up humanitarian response, people continue to battle life-threatening food and water shortages resulting from massive losses of harvests, livestock, and income. Local commodity prices also remain at an all-time high, out of reach for many, according to UNHCR.

According to UNHCR data, over 1.7 million people have been internally displaced in Ethiopia and Somalia due to the drought, most of them last year. More than 180,000 refugees from Somalia and South Sudan also crossed into drought-affected areas of Kenya and Ethiopia.

In recent weeks, nearly 100,000 people have arrived in Doolo, a remote area in Ethiopia’s Somali region, fleeing conflict in the Laascaanood area, UNHCR’s report indicates. In Somalia alone, since the start of the year, over 287,000 people have been internally displaced due to conflict and drought, the report says.

Due to space constraints in Kenya’s Dadaab camps, arriving refugees seeking relief from this climate catastrophe have been forced to reside along the outskirts of the camps where assistance is limited, while efforts are underway to establish a new settlement at the site of a previously closed camp.

UNHCR revealed its plans to provide more basic relief items including emergency shelter and household items for new refugee arrivals and displaced people in the three countries. Water supply will be increased through water trucking, drilling additional boreholes as well as refurbishing existing water and sanitation systems.

It was indicated that cash assistance will be prioritized for the most vulnerable so they can supplement their food needs and encourage traders to make food and other necessities available.

Health facilities will also be supported to step up nutritional assistance for women and children through high-nutrient feeding and medical treatment for related diseases.

UNHCR also said it will work with local authorities to strengthen border monitoring and facilitate refugee registration and documentation so that new arrivals, including those with special needs, can access appropriate assistance. Child protection as well as interventions to mitigate gender-based violence will also be intensified.

This additional assistance and protection is required urgently.

It was stated that in 2022, UNHCR received less than half of the required financial resources to respond to the drought. Hence, UNHCR calls for more global solidarity and support to protect, assist, and empower drought-affected communities and save millions of lives.