New York - A senior UN official called for more than USD 830 million in aid to offset the worsening humanitarian crisis in Somalia. The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for Somalia, Raisedon Zenenga briefed the Security Council calling for aid to offset the impact of a severe drought in a country that is already battling insecurity and poverty. He told the 15-member body that the scaled up response by humanitarian agencies has averted a famine in the country so far, but the crisis is unlikely to abate any time soon as the need for assistance is increasing faster than the pace of response. The UN official stressed the need for donor contributions as only USD 669 million has been pledged for the ongoing humanitarian efforts, leaving a gap of USD 832 million in the Humanitarian Response Plan. As the security situation continues to be precarious, especially for women and children, Zenenga said drought conditions are forcing them to migrate and sexual violence in IDP camps is on the rise. Moreover, he noted that the Federal Government and Federal Member State leaders have taken important first steps, giving the country a unique opportunity to build a functional state by signing the National Security Architecture Agreement, making it possible for international partners to support Somalia's security sector in a coherent way. Still, he stressed that Somali institutions continue to suffer from several capacity shortfalls that will need to be addressed if long-term progress is to be made.
