Provide Humanitarian aid for People in Somalia

Why Are Water and Medical Supplies Needed in Somalia?

In previous updates regarding our emergency relief operations in central Somalia, we primarily focused on food distribution. In this article, we would like to report on our provision of urgently needed water and medical supplies.

Somalia has barely seen rain for approximately three consecutive years, causing water prices to skyrocket and placing impoverished communities in particularly dire conditions.

A severe consequence of water shortages is not only dehydration, but also the outbreak of diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, and measles. When people are forced to use unsanitary water due to shortages, their risk of contracting various illnesses increases dramatically. Furthermore, children under the age of five who suffer from malnutrition often have compromised immune systems, making them especially vulnerable to these diseases. Therefore, access to clean water is absolutely critical.

To address this, we have been using water trucks to serve two camps lacking access to clean water, delivering a one-month supply of safe drinking and domestic water to approximately 2,000 vulnerable individuals, including women and children (reaching a total of around 5,300 people when combined with our food distribution). Additionally, in collaboration with medical institutions, we are distributing medicines to treat children who are already suffering from dehydration caused by conditions like diarrhea.

For the Somali people, many of whom live as pastoralists dependent on livestock such as camels, goats, and sheep, water shortages lead to an even deeper crisis. The lack of rain destroys vegetation needed for grazing and causes severe dehydration, resulting in the mass death of livestock. 

This worsens the crisis significantly, as families lose not only the meat and milk provided by their livestock, but also the income generated from selling them. This is another key reason why water distribution is so crucial.

Moving forward, we will continue reaching underserved populations in areas where international organizations struggle to operate due to deteriorating security conditions and high operational costs.

To make this possible, we still require approximately $7 million in additional support.

To help us save lives, we deeply appreciate your continued cooperation and support.