Somalia Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble on Tuesday night declares a state of humanitarian emergency in Somalia.
Roble said the situation was fast escalating as drought ravages 80 per cent of the country.
He called on the various sectors of the community and the international community to contribute to those affected by the drought.
” I call upon all Somalis, business people, religious leaders, diaspora and the International Community to make concerted efforts to significantly contribute to mitigating the suffering of those affected by the drought,” Roble said.
The move by the prime minister comes barely four days after he appointed a Ministerial Committee on Drought Relief.
The United Nations said about 2.3 million people already suffering with serious water, food and pasture shortages in Somalia, a rapidly worsening drought could lead to an “extreme situation” by April next year.
Among the worst affected areas include the villages of Golweyn, Yurkud and other areas between Garbaharey and Luuq in the Gedo region.