United Arab Emirates continues distributing food items to those affected by drought in Somalia

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UAE relief efforts continue to provide support to the Somali people by meeting the needs of more than 2.5 million residents affected by drought.

A UAE aid ship carrying over 1,000 tonnes of food and relief items arrived at the port of the capital, Mogadishu, last month in coordination with UAE relief agencies represented by the Emirates Red Crescent Authority, the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, and the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for Humanitarian Works.

Over the past week, the distribution of aid due to drought was expanded to include food support to the displaced in the most affected areas, including camps in Mogadishu and in the Mahas and Mataban areas of Hiran governorate in the Hireshabelle region. This came in coordination with UAE relief agencies and the Somali Disaster Management Authority.

Somalia is one of the countries in the Horn of Africa most affected by drought that is currently afflicting the region. The drought crisis facing Somalia is the worst in decades and requires international organizations to intensify humanitarian efforts to prevent drought from turning into famine.

The United Nations World Meteorological Organization has predicted that the country will brace for a fifth consecutive failed rainy season.

According to estimates by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than seven million Somalis face difficult humanitarian conditions and are in need of food assistance.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation.