Somalia urged to allow urgent access for humanitarian relief

Somalia was on Tuesday urged to remove all obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian assistance to drought-hit populations amid possible famine in the Horn of Africa nation.

Participants at a high-level roundtable meeting convened by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, widely known as Farmajo, in Mogadishu urged Mogadishu to temporarily suspend new bureaucratic requirements placed on aid providers at regions to enable aid agencies address the severe drought currently afflicting over 6 million people.

A communique issued after the meeting said the participants agreed on the necessary steps to avert another devastating famine in the country and warned of the risks posed by the drought in undermining the significant progress achieved in the country over the past five years.

"Participants proposed the immediate implementation of a number of specific measures to mitigate the effects of the drought. These include extending to the import and export of foodstuffs, critical supplies and remittances; the provision of security; increased logistical support for access to drought-stricken areas; and the rehabilitation of vital infrastructure," it said.

Participants also identified the drought crisis as the top priority currently facing Somalia and noted its particularly harsh impact on women, children and disabled persons.

Participants in the roundtable discussions welcomed President Farmajo's declaration of a national disaster and adopted a position of zero tolerance to the diversion of humanitarian assistance and pledged to hold accountable anyone engaging in such misconduct.

"The critical role of national and international non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies in providing life-saving assistance and livelihood support to populations at risk was emphasized," the communique said.

The communique also underscored the role of the country's private sector in facilitating the delivery of supplies to reach the most vulnerable communities and called on the Somali Diaspora to increase its remittances to support the drought response.

The meeting resolved to strengthen the role of the National Drought Response Committee and its state-level counterparts in the engagement of all actors in a coordinated plan of action to lessen the impact of the drought and prevent another famine.

"Only through urgent, collective and sustained action will we meet today's urgent challenge and build a more prosperous and safe environment for future generations in Somalia and its neighbours," the communique said. Endit