HARGEISA (Kaab TV) – The government of Somaliland has officially declared a humanitarian emergency, warning that millions of people across four regions are facing severe food and water shortages due to prolonged drought conditions.
President Abdirahman Abdillahi Irro made an urgent appeal on Wednesday to international donors and Somalilanders at home and abroad to support relief efforts aimed at saving lives and livelihoods.
“Communities in coastal regions such as Salal, Saahil, Sanaag, and Awdal are experiencing extreme hardship,” President Irro said in a televised address. “The drought has devastated both people and livestock, threatening the very survival of affected families.”
The President emphasized that the worsening drought has rendered key grazing areas barren and dried up many water wells, leaving pastoralist communities without vital resources.
Livestock, a primary economic asset for many rural households, are dying in large numbers due to the lack of water and pasture.
“Food shortages, thirst, and displacement have already begun,” he said. “Women, children, and the elderly are especially vulnerable.”
In response, President Irro has appointed a national drought emergency committee composed of government officials and religious leaders.
The committee, chaired by Vice President Mohamed Ali Aw Abdi, held its first meeting on Wednesday to coordinate urgent relief and fundraising efforts.
Government spokesperson Hussein Adan Igeh Deyr stated that the committee will focus on mobilizing resources and organizing emergency distributions of food, water, and livestock fodder to affected areas.
Reports received by Kaab TV indicate that Awdal is among the worst-hit regions, with rural communities struggling to find water for both people and animals.
Many areas have seen a sharp increase in livestock deaths due to extreme dehydration.
“If the situation persists for several more weeks, we risk large-scale animal deaths, which will have a devastating impact on already fragile households,” said a local aid worker Sakariye Abdi who recently returned from Awdal region.
“The consequences could be particularly severe for women, children, and the elderly.”
In a show of solidarity, Somaliland’s cabinet ministers have pledged to donate one month’s salary to the drought relief effort.
The government is also appealing to the Somaliland diaspora and private sector to contribute to the response.
“We are calling for a unified and compassionate response to save lives,” President Irro said, urging donors and international partners to act swiftly. “Timely support could prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.”
The United Nations has also raised alarm over the crisis, estimating that 4.4 million people across Somalia and Somaliland are currently affected by drought-related food and water shortages.
The UN warned that the lack of international funding for its 2025 Humanitarian Appeal —partly due to cuts by the president Donald Trump administration—could further limit humanitarian assistance.