MOGADISHU — International medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) on Thursday warned of soaring malnutrition rates in Somalia, where chronic funding shortfalls have crippled humanitarian efforts. According to the MSF, without immediate and sustained support, thousands of children face not only starvation but also weakened immunity, increased vulnerability to diseases, …
Read More »African Union peacekeepers in Somalia accused of widespread abuse
A new African Union peace enforcement mission, known by its acronym AUSSOM, was launched at the beginning of the year to support a fragile Somali government that has struggled against a jihadist insurgency entrenched in the countryside. AUSSOM is the third iteration of a multinational combat force first deployed in Somalia in 2007. Yet, …
Read More »EAC launches project to boost agricultural productivity
DAR ES SALAAM — The East African Community (EAC) on Tuesday launched the 12.5-million-U.S.-dollar Sustainable Regional Agricultural Extension (ENSURE) project to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability across the region. The EAC said in a statement on Wednesday that the three-year project, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), is expected …
Read More »At least 7 killed in Al-Shabaab siege on Beledweyne hotel
BELEDWEYNE, Somalia — Al-Shabaab militants stormed a hotel in central Somalia’s Beledweyne on Tuesday, killing at least seven people, including local elders and officials, in a deadly siege that underscored the persistent threat of the al-Qaida-linked group. The attack on the Cairo Hotel began early Tuesday with an explosives-laden vehicle detonating …
Read More »UK announces over $40 mln in humanitarian and health assistance for Somalia
MOGADISHU — The UK announces new funding to support Somalia’s most vulnerable communities, including building their resilience to climate shocks, taking the total for the past year to over $106m. The British Embassy Mogadishu today announced over $40 million in new humanitarian and health aid to support Somalia’s most vulnerable …
Read More »SoDMA delivers humanitarian aid to displaced families in Middle Shabelle region
MOGADISHU — In a significant humanitarian effort, a convoy of nine trucks carrying much-needed aid has successfully arrived in Rage Elle, located in the Middle Shabelle region. The aid, dispatched by the Somalia Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) from Mogadishu on Thursday, is designed to provide urgent support to communities that …
Read More »Aid workers face uncertain future as funds dry up
MOGADISHU — Over 500 Aid workers, including senior staff, mid-level employees, junior staff, drivers, and various professionals, have been laid off since December of last year after the organizations they worked for ran out of funds to pay their salaries due to halted projects. Some offices of these organizations in …
Read More »IOM says over 180 people missing after migrant boats capsize off Yemen
NAIROBI — More than 180 migrants are missing and feared dead after two boats they were travelling in capsized in rough seas off Yemen on Thursday, the International Organisation for Migration said. The boats were carrying migrants from a Horn of Africa country and capsized off Yemen’s Dhubab district in …
Read More »UN emergency aid fund releases $110M for neglected humanitarian crises
GENEVA — The UN on Thursday announced the allocation of $110 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support life-saving humanitarian aid in 10 of the world’s most underfunded crises across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. With over 300 million people in urgent need of assistance, global humanitarian …
Read More »WFP appeals for nearly $300 mln to meet humanitarian needs in Somalia
MOGADISHU — The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) said it has a funding gap of 297 million U.S. dollars to meet humanitarian needs in Somalia for the next six months. Without additional funding, the WFP’s critical operations in Somalia will face pipeline breaks by mid-year, it warned in a …
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Somali Observatory for Humanitarian Affairs The Voice of Reality.. The Eye of Humanitarian Truth in Somalia