Tuesday September 13, 2022
Garowe (HOL) - Two people committed suicide in the eastern region of Puntland after the crippling drought killed their livestock, according to the Puntland Drought Relief Committee.
The man and woman were among several families whose livestock was decimated due to the drought.
"When their livestock died, their livelihoods dwindled, making life difficult for them to manage their lives. They sadly killed themselves. We can now confirm the suicides of a mother in the Bargal area and a 24-year-old married man whose wife recently gave birth," Drought Relief Committee member Sheikh Osman Mohamud said.
Sheikh Osman added that there were reports of others attempting suicide by hanging. He said the drought deprived these people of everything they needed to survive.
Puntland is one of the areas heavily affected by the drought. According to the drought committee, the drought in Puntland has impacted over one million people.
The committee appealed for more money, saying their funds and efforts were insufficient to deal with the drought response.
The president and Federal Member State leaders met in Mogadishu for a two-day National Consultative Council meeting this weekend. They promised to scale up its response to the drought and urged Somalia's international partners to redouble their support for drought relief.
Last week, the UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths warned that parts of Somalia are on the brink of famine after being hit by four failed rainy seasons.