Puntland appeals for help as drought bites

The authorities of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, are appealing for assistance for thousands of people affected by a serious drought in the region. Parts of Puntland are facing serious food and water shortages, according to its local government and rural affairs minister Ali Abdi Aware. He told IRIN on Wednesday that the problem was most acute in the Sool and Sanaag regions, which are claimed by both Puntland and the neighboring self-declared republic of Somaliland. The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs-Somalia had earlier in the week warned that more than 90,000 of the 650,000 people in the Sool Plateau are facing starvation. Also seriously affected by the current drought were the districts of Qardho, Iskushuban, and Badar Beyla, all in Bari Region, and parts of Nugal Region, said Ali. "The Deyr rains [September-November] have failed this year in most areas. This, coupled with an already existing drought, has made matters even worse." He said the Puntland administration had set up a ministerial committee to assist the drought victims and a bank account had been set up for people to contribute. Ali told IRIN that people from rural areas who lost had all their livestock were coming to towns. "In towns, like, Garowe, Bosaso and Qardho, we are already seeing the effect, with rural people building makeshift shelters on the fringes of the towns," he stated. He added that the Puntland authorities "cannot cope with this alone" and needed urgent help from the international community. He said the first priority was to deliver water to affected areas and to distribute food to those who had lost their livestock. Ali said the authorities had estimated the number of people needing help at between 230,000 and 250,000. "Some of the population have reached the stage where they are no longer able to cope," he warned. Moreover, the health of the affected populations was deteriorating. "We are already seeing cases of severely malnourished people in the worst-hit areas," he said. He appealed to the international community to come to the aid of the people of Puntland "before they start dying".