The United Nations has expressed deep concern over the lack of humanitarian funding for Somalia. A new UN report says Somalia has received only 17% of its planned humanitarian funding this year.
The United Nations says Somalia has been allocated $1.42 billion this year to help 4.6 million people, but so far only a fraction of the funding has been received, forcing aid agencies to cut their target by 72%. This means that assistance can only be provided to 1.3 million people, out of a need of at least $367 million.
More than 300,000 people – mostly displaced families living in overcrowded camps and rural communities – are said to lack access to clean water and sanitation services, after services were reduced or completely suspended.
Funding for the water and sanitation sector is currently less than 12% of what is needed, forcing agencies to make very difficult decisions at a time when urgent needs are increasing.
Between January and July this year, Somalia reported 6,550 cases of cholera and watery diarrhea, including nine deaths. More than 1,000 new cases were recorded in the last month, with almost half of the latest cases occurring in children under five years of age.
