UN Says $1.42 Billion Needed to Scale Up Humanitarian Aid in Somalia Next Year

UN Humanitarian Agency Warns Drought and Conflict Could Be Key Risks in 2025.

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Newstimehub

16 Dec, 2024

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UN Humanitarian Agency Warns Drought and Conflict Could Be Key Risks in 2025.

The United Nations has announced that $1.42 billion will be needed to scale up humanitarian operations in Somalia, where 5.98 million people are projected to require aid in 2025.

Launching the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) for Somalia on Sunday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the plan will focus on life-saving and sustaining assistance for the most critical needs, targeting 4.6 million people.

OCHA stated that the plan envisions scaled-up development and climate financing to address the structural drivers of needs, enhance resilience, reduce future disaster risks, and adapt to climate change.

The report highlighted drought and conflict as key risks for 2025, noting that worsening drought conditions would exacerbate resource competition and heighten the risks of disease outbreaks.

The UN agency further reported that 53% of the 455,000 newly displaced persons in the Horn of Africa nation were driven by conflict, while the majority of displacements in 2022 and 2023 were caused by climate shocks.

The humanitarian situation in Somalia showed slight improvements in 2024 compared to previous years, following the devastating drought from 2020-23 and severe floods that struck late last year.