By Mohammed Dhaysane
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) – A Turkish charity organization on Thursday handed over humanitarian aid to the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) in the capital Mogadishu to help flood victims.
The humanitarian assistance from the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) included food packages, mosquito nets, and tents to shelter families displaced by the ongoing floods in the country.
Speaking to journalists at the handover ceremony in Mogadishu, SoDMA Commissioner Mahamuud Moallim thanked the Turkish foundation for its support at a time when the Horn of Africa nation is witnessing one the worst floods in a century.
The climate change-induced El Nino floods have already claimed the lives of more than 96 people and affected over 2 million.
The Humanitarian Relief Foundation's Somalia representative, Hasan Demir, said they are committed to helping Somalia’s people in times of crisis.
The heavy rainfall in Somalia is anticipated to impact up to 1.5 million hectares (3.7 million acres) of farmland.
As the country is experiencing a humanitarian crisis, the aid agencies said the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan, which seeks over $2.6 billion to assist 7.6 million people, remains significantly underfunded at 39%, demanding immediate action to bridge the financial gap.
Somalia has declared a “national humanitarian emergency” due to the floods.