Severe drought displaces 918,000 people in Somalia: UN

Severe drought in Somalia, with malnutrition and disease outbreaks surging, has displaced 918,000 people from their homes, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

Currently, more than 90 per cent of Somalia experiences severe to extreme drought conditions, Xinhua news agency quoted the OCHA as saying.

The forecast of a historic fifth poor rainy season will keep needs high well into 2023, it added.

Humanitarians reached more than 4 million people with life-saving assistance since January, out of the 7 million affected and they gave priority to the most vulnerable people in areas of highest need as catastrophic hunger looms, the Office said in its latest situation report.

The UN Humanitarian Air Service reached about 900,000 vulnerable people in hard-to-reach areas, it said.

"Malnutrition and disease outbreaks have surged, and more people are facing difficulties accessing safe water, proper sanitation, and adequate food," said OCHA.

It said donations have significantly boosted the funding needed to scale up the humanitarian response.

As a result, partners will expand humanitarian assistance to reach more drought-affected people, including marginalized groups in areas of greatest need.