Tuesday April 4, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Sool region in Somalia is experiencing a worsening humanitarian crisis due to ongoing conflict, severe drought, and disease outbreaks. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
reports that between 154,000 and 203,000 people have been displaced since December 2022, with around 100,000 crossing into Ethiopia's Somali Region.
Humanitarian partners are seeking $116 million in aid to provide life-saving assistance to refugees, primarily women, children, and elderly individuals, as well as unaccompanied and separated children. Many children under five years old, pregnant women and nursing mothers are suffering from moderate acute malnutrition. Furthermore, there is a heightened risk of disease outbreaks, with measles cases already reported.
The conflict in Las Anod has intensified the situation in the Sool region, which is already grappling with extreme water shortages due to an ongoing drought. The influx of displaced individuals has placed additional strain on the region's limited resources, leaving many families without access to safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, shelter, food, and healthcare.
Access to Las Anod remains restricted, complicating relief efforts. On March 22, authorities distributed food to about 6,000 people in Guumays, Tuulo Samakaab, Yagoori, and Kalabeydh, and joint assessments of inaccessible areas continue to identify needs and plan immediate responses.
The crisis in the Sool region highlights the urgent need for international support and intervention to prevent further deterioration of the situation, which has already displaced hundreds of thousands and put many at risk of malnutrition and disease outbreaks.