HARGEISA (SoOHA) – Farmers in a village near Hargeisa have seen their fields of vegetables and other crops washed away by flash floods that came unexpectedly after months of severe drought in much of Somaliland and other parts of Somalia. Ibrahim Aw Isman, the chairman of the local farmers’ association, …

LONDON (SoOHA) – Islamic Relief has launched an urgent humanitarian appeal to help people pushed to the brink by a protracted drought in Somalia. Some 4.5 million people in the most severely affected areas now need critical lifesaving aid. Seasonal Gu rains haven’t produced the rainfall the country hoped for, …

LONDON (SoOHA) – Government of the United Kingdom is providing a mammoth amount of £8 million for humanitarian support to Somalis affected by the current drought. The funds will go towards providing food security, nutrition, clean water, basic health services and livestock vaccination. This additional support will provide a significant …

MOGADISHU (SoOHA) – The UN Development Programme (UNDP) on Thursday welcomed its new resident representative for its country program in Somalia, Jocelyn Mason, to Mogadishu. Mason is joining UNDP Somalia from UNDP Afghanistan where he was acting resident representative for the Afghanistan Country Office. “He will lead the UNDP country …

Somalia’s aid community has been caught off guard by severe drought conditions and growing food insecurity, and now says time is ticking to raise awareness of a looming crisis. “This is a little bit of an unanticipated shock,” said Justin Brady, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination …

Ever since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s first visit to Somalia in 2011, when he was Turkey’s prime minister, the relations between Somalia and Turkey has blossomed and strengthened. The two countries started regular high-level discussions, exchange of delegations and cooperation in international forums, including the United Nations. Turkey, no doubt, …

NEW YORK (SoOHA) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday lamented the lack of civilian protection in armed conflicts across the globe, saying international compliance with the UN’s framework for such conflicts has deteriorated. “Grave human suffering is still being caused by armed conflicts and a lack of compliance with …

DOHA (SoOHA) – Qatar Charity (QC) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, launched the largest humanitarian relief initiative entitled ‘For Humanity (4H)’ to provide emergency assistance to vulnerable refugees across the globe. The 4H campaign aims to reach out to more than 300,000 refugees and displaced persons in Yemen, Syria, …

BAIDOA (SoOHA) – In our continuing series on life in IDP camps across Somalia, Radio Ergo visited a displaced people’s camp in Baidoa. Hanano One camp is one of the oldest camps in the region and has become home to many who have raised their families there and do not …

NAIROBI (SoOHA) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has ruled out ransom negotiations with Al Shabaab militants in Somalia to secure the release of two Cuban doctors abducted from Mandera in April. Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma however said an operation was ongoing to rescue the two doctors. “We believe that …