A statement released from the presidency on Monday, saw the President call on Somalis in the diaspora and the international community to intervene ‘‘to aid the situation urgently as it is time for action.’‘
“I appeal to the Somali people, wherever they are all over the world to help and stand shoulder to shoulder with their suffering Somali people who lack food and water due to the drought in the country.
I appeal to the Somali people, wherever they are all over the world to help and stand shoulder to shoulder with their suffering Somali people who lack food and water due to the drought in the country.
‘‘The government will also take an important part. The Gu’ season has passed without rains with earlier rainy seasons failing. So, the Somali people need to help one another and help their brothers and sisters with food and water.” he said.
The president further stated that the drought has widely affected the country, but some areas are worse than others, “the drought is everywhere but in particular the drought hardly hit the north western and North Eastern regions of Somalia, of Somaliland and Puntland, where many livestock have already been lost, with people starting dying, in areas the drought is very critical” Hassan Sheik Mohamud added.
According to him, the already bad situation had worsened due to delayed rains. He added that whatever aid comes through the government will also make its input to save the most affected people from starving to death.
The European Union (EU) last month announced a €66.5m aid package to respond to the El Niño and food security crisis in the Horn of African region.
The package of development assistance focuses on the four countries that are most severely hit by El Niño and that are experiencing food insecurity: Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.
The breakdown of the funds are as follows:
Ethiopia (€22.5 million)
Somalia (€8 million)
South Sudan (€28 million) and
Sudan (€8 million)
Aside the issue of drought, Somalia is also suffering from the scourge of terrorism from the Al-Shabaab militant group. The recent withdrawal by Ethiopian troops in some areas have seen the terrorist group take over towns.
The country is currently undertaking its local and legislative elections. The process will lead to the election of a President later this month. The Somali National Army is being helped by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to maintain security.
waxaan a u qaylo dhaaminayaa dhamaan Ardada, Shaqaalaha iyo macalimiinta soomaaliyeed......dadkii waa dabargo'ayaa naf iyo moodba cid u maqan ama iska xilsaaraysaana ma jirto, abaar ayaa laysay wixii noolna waxa ay billaabeen inay isdilaan ka dib markii ay quusteen maadaama ay niyadda ku qabteen haddii xoolihii ka baaba'een inaan cid u maqan iyo ceel u qodan aaday waxaa ka dambeeyaana waa xilligii Jiidaalka ama Diraacda oo ah xilli soomaaliya oo dha qalayl iyo roob la'aantahay, inkasta oo roobdoonta la sameeyay ilaahay uu naga aqbalay meelo badan hadana ilaahay waanna tijaabinayaa bal sidaan iskugu gurmano, kuwa sabra oo allah qadartiisa ku qanca وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ . الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ . أُولَئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ iyo kuwa quusta oo adduunyadaan dhibaatadeedu la waynaato, sidoo kale kuwa naxariista oo haddii wax kale ay waayaan dadka u qaylo dhaamiya iyo kuwa guryahooda dharagta la jiifa ee aan dariskooda ka warqabin, adduunka waa nin walbaa waxa uu ergado/amaashado aakhirana xisaab baa taal, dadkaas dhibaataysan maantoo kale waxa ay ahayd in ay jirto dowlad xeryo u ooda diyaaradana ku soo daabusha, haddii ay wayeen, bulsho abaabulan oo gurmad u soo fidisa haddii ay waayeen, hay'ado caalamka uga soo gurmada, haddii ay waayeen...??!!!!!!!!! aqoonyahanada soomaaliyeed waa maantoo kale marka ay wax tarayso waxa aad soo barateen kii caafimaad bartay kii dhaqaale bartay kii diini bartay kii waxkale bartaba maantookale waxaa kala baxa kii calooshiisa inuu buuxsho wax u bartay iyo kii inuu dadkiisa caawiyo wax u bartay, Lacagta bareega u soo aruuriya walaalihiina dhiban, mushaarkiina $1 ka jara, haddaa wax kale waysaan dadka gaarsiiya kuna booriya inay dadkaas dhibaatasan caawiyaan الدال على الخير كفاعله Go'aan qaadasho adag ayay rabtaa iyo damiir damqanaya.................u gurmada dadka soomaaliyeed ee ku dhibaataysan meelkasta oo ka tirsan dhulka soomaaliyeed adoon qofna abaal uga rabin alaah maahane..إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُورًا
midna aysan jirin, waxa la filayay in bisha October ilaa iyo December uu roobka Dayrta uu da'o lkn waa yar
The humanitarian situation in Somalia has
become increasingly fragile towards the end of 2016, especially in the northern
regions. Drought conditions are deepening in Puntland and Somaliland, and have
expanded to southern and central regions, including Gedo, Hiraan, Galgaduud and
Lower Juba. The Deyr rainy season, which usually extends from October to
December, has so far been poor, and high temperatures combined with limited
amounts of rain in October 2016 that have led to drought conditions in most of
Somalia, ranging from moderate to extreme. During the month of October, most
regions registered less than half of the usual rainfall. Crop and pasture
losses are widespread, and water shortages common. Substantial increases in
water prices are being reported in the majority of regions, with price hikes of
as much as 66 per cent in Xudur, Bakool region, and 58 per cent in Laas
Caanood, Sool region. No significant rainfall is expected in the coming weeks
and the drought conditions are likely to intensify until the next rainy season
expected in April 2017. Water levels in Juba and Shabelle rivers are below
normal for this time of year due to limited rain in the Ethiopian highlands.
Water levels are expected to decline further, putting further stress on
communities dependent on irrigation for growing crops.
Two out of five Somalis are already
acutely food insecure and prospects for the Deyr season cereal production is
bleak, with crop failure expected in many areas. A scale-up of humanitarian
assistance is required to prevent further deterioration of the situation. If it
continues at current levels, with around 1.6 million people reached per month,
the number of people who will be in ‘crisis’ or ‘emergency’ is likely to
increase, potentially to a drastic scale. A 20 per cent increase in number of
people who cannot meet their daily food requirements was already registered in
September 2016, up from 935,000 to 1.1 million in six months, according to the
FAO-managed Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU). The nutrition
situation has also deteriorated with over 320,000 acutely malnourished children
in need of urgent nutrition support, including treatment for more than 50,000
who are severely malnourished and far more vulnerable than any other group.
Water shortages may also trigger further outbreaks of water borne diseases.
This follows a major outbreak of AWD/Cholera in the region in early 2016, with
Somalia hit most severely, at a scale not seen in recent years. More than
13,600 cases of AWD/Cholera were registered from January to September 2016, up
from 5,300 registered cases in 2015.
On 12 November 2016, the President of the
Federal Government issued an appeal to all Somalis and the international
community for support to drought stricken communities throughout the country.
Appeals have also been issued by authorities in Jubaland (2 October), Puntland
(5 October), and Somaliland (17 November).
The impact of the drought and the demand
on humanitarian resources has been further magnified by a number of emerging crises,
including an increase in conflict-related displacements and refugee returns
from Kenya.
Moderate to Extreme drought conditions are being experienced in the country. The negative trends are not expected to reverse until the next rains, which are anticipated in April 2017.
During the month of October 2016, most parts of Somalia recorded poor rainfall amounts, with most regions registering 25 to 50 percent of average.
Vegetation conditions worsened and drought conditions strengthened and continued to affect pasture, water, livestock and crops, with vegetation cover (NDVI) 60 to 70 percent of average in southern regions.
Prospects of Deyr cereal production is bleak, with crop failure expected in many areas.
Juba and Shabelle river levels are currently below normal; the resulting competition for irrigation water is likely to lead to deliberate breakage of embankments, adversely affecting downstream users.
Drought conditions
Hot and dry weather conditions persisted in most parts of Somalia in September and October 2016. High temperatures combined with lack of rainfall, caused water stress to crops, livestock and water resources. This has led to drought conditions in most parts of the country, ranging from moderate to extreme.
In this bulletin the following definition is adapted. “Drought is an extended period of time during which fresh water availability, particularly rainfall and soil moisture are below average, and temperatures and winds are high”, which specifies the natural phenomena, the hydro-meteorological drought. Hence, the main factors causing drought are rainfall deficit, excess temperature and deficit in soil moisture.
The drought condition map (Map 1) has been produced based on observed rainfall and satellite (rainfall and vegetation) data sets as well as field reports.
On May 26, 1996, Mariana Cook visited Barack and Michelle Obama in Hyde Park as part of a photography project on couples in America. What follows is excerpted from her interviews with them.
MICHELLE OBAMA: There is a strong possibility that Barack will pursue a political career although it’s unclear. There is a little tension with that. I’m very wary of politics. I think he’s too much of a good guy for the kind of brutality, the skepticism.
When you are involved in politics, your life is an open book, and people can come in who don’t necessarily have good intent. I’m pretty private, and like to surround myself with people that I trust and love. In politics you’ve got to open yourself to a lot of different people. There is a possibility that our futures will go that way, even though I want to have kids and travel, spend time with family, and like spending time with friends. But we are going to be busy people doing lots of stuff. And it’ll be interesting to see what life has to offer. In many ways, we are here for the ride, just sort of seeing what opportunities open themselves up. And the more you experiment the easier it is to do different things. If I had stayed in a law firm and made partner, my life would be completely different. I wouldn’t know the people I know, and I would be more risk-averse. Barack has helped me loosen up and feel comfortable with taking risks, not doing things the traditional way and sort of testing it out, because that is how he grew up. I’m more traditional; he’s the one in the couple that, I think, is the less traditional individual. You can probably tell from the photographs—he’s just more out there, more flamboyant. I’m more, like, “Well, let’s wait and see. What did that look like? How much does it weigh?”
BARACK OBAMA: All my life, I have been stitching together a family, through stories or memories or friends or ideas. Michelle has had a very different background—very stable, two-parent family, mother at home, brother and dog, living in the same house all their lives. We represent two strands of family life in this country—the strand that is very stable and solid, and then the strand that is breaking out of the constraints of traditional families, traveling, separated, mobile. I think there was that strand in me of imagining what it would be like to have a stable, solid, secure family life.
Michelle is a tremendously strong person, and has a very strong sense of herself and who she is and where she comes from. But I also think in her eyes you can see a trace of vulnerability that most people don’t know because when she’s walking through the world she is this tall, beautiful, confident woman. There is a part of her that is vulnerable and young and sometimes frightened, and I think seeing both of those things are what attracted me to her. And then what sustains our relationship is I’m extremely happy with her, and part of it has to do with the fact that she is at once completely familiar to me, so that I can be myself and she knows me very well and I trust her completely, but at the same time she is also a complete mystery to me in some ways. And there are times when we are lying in bed and I look over and sort of have a start. Because I realize here is this other person who is separate and different and has different memories and backgrounds and thoughts and feelings. It’s that tension between familiarity and mystery that makes for something strong, because, even as you build a life of trust and comfort and mutual support, you retain some sense of surprise or wonder about the other person. ♦
waxaan a u qaylo dhaaminayaa dhamaan Ardada, Shaqaalaha iyo macalimiinta soomaaliyeed......dadkii waa dabargo'ayaa naf iyo moodba cid u maqan ama iska xilsaaraysaana ma jirto, abaar ayaa laysay wixii noolna waxa ay billaabeen inay isdilaan ka dib markii ay quusteen maadaama ay niyadda ku qabteen haddii xoolihii ka baaba'een inaan cid u maqan iyo ceel u qodan aaday waxaa ka dambeeyaana waa xilligii Jiidaalka ama Diraacda oo ah xilli soomaaliya oo dha qalayl iyo roob la'aantahay, inkasta oo roobdoonta la sameeyay ilaahay uu naga aqbalay meelo badan hadana ilaahay waanna tijaabinayaa bal sidaan iskugu gurmano, kuwa sabra oo allah qadartiisa ku qanca وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ . الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ . أُولَئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ iyo kuwa quusta oo adduunyadaan dhibaatadeedu la waynaato, sidoo kale kuwa naxariista oo haddii wax kale ay waayaan dadka u qaylo dhaamiya iyo kuwa guryahooda dharagta la jiifa ee aan dariskooda ka warqabin, adduunka waa nin walbaa waxa uu ergado/amaashado aakhirana xisaab baa taal, dadkaas dhibaataysan maantoo kale waxa ay ahayd in ay jirto dowlad xeryo u ooda diyaaradana ku soo daabusha, haddii ay wayeen, bulsho abaabulan oo gurmad u soo fidisa haddii ay waayeen, hay'ado caalamka uga soo gurmada, haddii ay waayeen...??!!!!!!!!! aqoonyahanada soomaaliyeed waa maantoo kale marka ay wax tarayso waxa aad soo barateen kii caafimaad bartay kii dhaqaale bartay kii diini bartay kii waxkale bartaba maantookale waxaa kala baxa kii calooshiisa inuu buuxsho wax u bartay iyo kii inuu dadkiisa caawiyo wax u bartay, Lacagta bareega u soo aruuriya walaalihiina dhiban, mushaarkiina $1 ka jara, haddaa wax kale waysaan dadka gaarsiiya kuna booriya inay dadkaas dhibaatasan caawiyaan الدال على الخير كفاعله Go'aan qaadasho adag ayay rabtaa iyo damiir damqanaya.................u gurmada dadka soomaaliyeed ee ku dhibaataysan meelkasta oo ka tirsan dhulka soomaaliyeed adoon qofna abaal uga rabin alaah maahane..إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُورًا
Two out of five Somalis are already
acutely food insecure and prospects for the Deyr season cereal production is
bleak, with crop failure expected in many areas. A scale-up of humanitarian
assistance is required to prevent further deterioration of the situation. If it
continues at current levels, with around 1.6 million people reached per month,
the number of people who will be in ‘crisis’ or ‘emergency’ is likely to
increase, potentially to a drastic scale. A 20 per cent increase in number of
people who cannot meet their daily food requirements was already registered in
September 2016, up from 935,000 to 1.1 million in six months, according to the
FAO-managed Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU). The nutrition
situation has also deteriorated with over 320,000 acutely malnourished children
in need of urgent nutrition support, including treatment for more than 50,000
who are severely malnourished and far more vulnerable than any other group.
Water shortages may also trigger further outbreaks of water borne diseases.
This follows a major outbreak of AWD/Cholera in the region in early 2016, with
Somalia hit most severely, at a scale not seen in recent years. More than
13,600 cases of AWD/Cholera were registered from January to September 2016, up
from 5,300 registered cases in 2015.
