Somalia is facing one of the world’s most difficult and acute humanitarian crises, and adequate funding is badly needed to help 3.2 million people who rely on aid, a United Nations official said.
Mark Bowden, the U.N. humanitarian and resident coordinator for Somalia, stressed the need to address a funding gap in the USD600 million appeal for the African country. He said only 56 percent of the requirement has been met so far.
The aid will fund projects in critical areas such as health, water and sanitation, nutrition and livelihood support in the country, the U.N. News Center reports.
Somalia is plagued with severe child malnutrition, lack of employment opportunities and constant displacement due to ongoing conflict between the government and Islamist militant groups. An estimated 1.4 million people have been displaced and almost 595,000 are living as refugees in neighboring countries, the U.N. News Center adds.
