HARGEISA, Somaliland — In March of 2016, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies launched a 6-month emergency appeal for funding to support the Somali Red Crescent Society in its efforts to provide relief in Somaliland and Puntland for the regional drought. This appeal was intended to support nearly 80,000 people. When the funding ran out, from December until March, there were no activities.
But the rains continued to fail and the crisis persisted.
In March 2017, the appeal was updated to assist 150,000 people for 10 months. But as the crisis continued to deepen, a cholera outbreak hit the region, and another revision of the appeal was needed. In July, the IFRC revised it again to include almost 353,000 people, for 27 months, lasting until June 2018. If the crisis continues, which is expected, the appeal might need to be updated again.