Read at : Google Alert – drought
http://allafrica.com/stories/200904220688.html
Somalia: Drought-Affected Flock to Towns in Central Region
Nairobi — More and more drought-affected internally displaced persons (IDPs) are flocking to towns across Somalia’s central region of Galgadud in search of food, despite the onset of the ‘Gu’ rains (April-June), local officials told IRIN.
“Some 550 families [3,300 people] have arrived in Abudwaq from rural areas after losing their livestock,” said Abdirizak Abdullahi Warsame, a doctor with Hadia Medical Swiss-Somalia, an NGO supported by Somalis in the diaspora and the Swiss government, and operating in Abudwaq District.
Warsame, the only doctor in the town, said people were coming into town because the rains had been “light and patchy”.
He said his organisation was providing medical help and water to the camps but this was not enough; the IDPs require food, shelter and more water.
“We are seeing malnutrition cases among the IDPs on the increase,” Warsame said.
He said they had written to aid agencies but had so far not received any assistance.
In a 15 April report, the Food Security Analysis Unit of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO/FSAU) for Somalia warned that drought-affected populations in the central region faced a continuing deterioration in their food security and nutritional situation as a result of the unusually prolonged and harsh dry ‘Jilaal’ season (January-April).
Ali Sheikh Mahamud, the Guri-Eil district commissioner, said thousands of drought-affected IDPs people were camped in Guri-Eil town.
“We have 11 camps around the town populated by IDPs and almost 70 percent of them are drought affected,” he said, adding that the IDP population in the area was estimated at 10,000 families (60,000 people).
Mahamud said: “Those from Mogadishu have begun returning, but these [the drought-affected] are not going anywhere.”
Livelihoods lost
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