Somalia threatened by a historic drought and weakened by an Islamist insurgency

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ‘sounded the alarm’ and called for ‘massive international support’ in Somalia, during a visit to the fragile insurgency-ridden Horn of Africa country on Tuesday. Islamism and a historic drought.

“I am also here to sound the alarm on the need for massive international support: massive international support because of the humanitarian challenges facing the country, massive humanitarian support related to building security capacity in Somalia and massive humanitarian support for the stabilization and development of the country,” he said during a joint press conference with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud.

Antonio Guterres arrived Tuesday morning for a quick “solidarity visit” on the occasion of the month of Ramadan, during which he must meet various political actors and go to a camp for displaced people, according to local media.

Somalia is experiencing, like its neighbors Kenya and Ethiopia, a drought not seen for at least 40 years, caused by five seasons of abortive rains which have wiped out livestock and crops and forced at least 1.7 million people from their homes. in search of water and food.

The UN has appealed for $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid for Somalia. “I call on donors and I call on the international community to step up their support to urgently fund the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan which is currently only 15% funded,” Guterres urged.

About half the population will need humanitarian aid this year, with 8.3 million people affected by drought, according to the United Nations.

“With the President we discussed the government’s valuable efforts to fight terrorism and advance peace and security for all,” he added.

Somalia, one of the poorest countries on the planet, has been facing an insurgency by radical Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Qaeda Islamists for more than 15 years.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud, who returned to power in May 2022, last year promised radical Islamists “total war” and sent troops in September to support an uprising against Al-Shabaab launched by local clan militias in the center from the country.

“This visit testifies to the fact that the United Nations is fully committed to supporting our plans for state building and stabilization of the country”, greeted the Head of State, saying he was “convinced that the Somali people will be able to overcome the difficulties and the obstacles he still faces with the completion of the country’s liberation and reconciliation”.

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