Reaction

“Reacting to the UN Humanitarian Needs Response Plan (HRP) released yesterday, which shows that 4.8 million people in Somalia require urgent humanitarian assistance, Oxfam Country Director Juliet Moriku Balikowa said.

“Somalia is at a breaking point. The latest projection shows that one in three people now needs humanitarian assistance; yet critical funding gaps are blocking a meaningful aid response.  Recurrent climate extremes and mounting economic pressures have eroded people’s ability to cope, pushing communities deeper into relentless cycles of crisis.

“Without predictable and adequate funding, the HNRP risks becoming a little more than a statement of need rather than the urgent lifeline the most vulnerable Somali communities need to survive. Vulnerable communities cannot be left to absorb the compounded shocks of climate change, conflict, and displacement on their own. We know that acting early saves lives.  Delays only cost more, both in human lives and in the resources required to address preventable suffering.

“With preliminary funding levels far below the required US $852 million, humanitarian organizations are being forced to scale back assistance and make impossible choices about who receives support. Oxfam is calling on donors and international partners to urgently increase funding to the HNRP.