Jowhar, 7 December 2023– Working collaboratively with the Federal Government of Somalia and the Federal Member State of Hirshabelle, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has provided relief support to about 600 households in Hirshabelle State, affected by the El Nino-induced floods.
On Wednesday, ATMIS Deputy Force Commander in charge of Operations and Planning Major General Marius Ngendabanka, handed over essential food and non-food items to representatives of the Federal Government and Hirshabelle State officials in the state capital, Jowhar.
The supplies will now be distributed to six Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps hosting families displaced by a combination of El-Nino floods and Al-Shabaab militants.
“We are here today to hand over life-saving food and non-food items to alleviate the suffering of IDPs and vulnerable populations affected by El Nino floods in the ATMIS area of responsibility to support and augment the efforts of the federal government and member states,” declared Maj. Gen. Ngendabanka.
“Many of the displaced and relocated people need critical assistance to survive. ATMIS facilitates humanitarian access to the local population as part of its mandate to bring peace and stability to Somalia,” he added, affirming ATMIS’ commitment to support the Somali people during the humanitarian crisis.
The items acquired with support from the Italian government comprised essential foods, including rice, wheat flour, sugar, beans, and oil, and non-food items, including blankets, plastic sheets, mosquito nets, and buckets.
ATMIS Sector Five Commander, Maj. Gen. Jean Claude Niyiburana noted that the supplies would go a long way to cover the essential needs of the IDPs.
“This event comes at a critical moment when the humanitarian situation is alarming. The population has been displaced almost everywhere in our sector, particularly along the Shabelle River, due to the floods caused by the El Nino phenomenon”.
Omar Mohamed Gabow, the Hirshabelle Deputy Minister of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, who received the donation, termed it a timely demonstration of the excellent working relations with ATMIS.
He appreciated ATMIS and the Italian government for their generous support.
“I would like to thank ATMIS and the Italian government for delivering this timely humanitarian donation, which will help us mitigate the impact of climate change and El Nino induced floods in Somalia and Hirshabelle State. I urge other humanitarian agencies to provide us with emergency support to assist our people,” said the deputy minister.
Abdullahi Aden, the Deputy Commissioner of Refugees and IDPs Commission, who represented the Federal Government, said the El Nino floods had exacerbated the existing climate change and security-related crises.
“We appreciate your continued support and solidarity with Somali people during the hard times. With the help of ATMIS, we have achieved many things, such as security and dealing with humanitarian issues,” noted Aden.
The El Nino-induced flooding has caused significant disruption in the Hirshabelle region, leaving many homeless, destroying vital infrastructure, and cutting off access to Main Supply Routes (MSRs).
At least 2.4 million people across Somalia have been affected by flooding and other effects of the El Nino phenomenon. Some 1.5 million people have been displaced, and over 100 lives have been lost.