Kismayo — Mahamuud Moallim, the Commissioner of the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SODMA) has on Monday warned of looming stormy weather in Somalia within weeks.

Speaking at a Humanitarian Coordination Forum held in the southern port city of Kismayo on Monday, Moallim said the country is on the brink of storms amid a catastrophic drought crisis.

"Somalia will face stormy weather in the coming weeks. Though we don't know how bad this weather will be, it may well endanger the already- vulnerable population across the country," said SODMA Commissioner.

Somalia declared a state of humanitarian emergency in Nov. 2021 after persistent climate-fueled droughts that have fueled a humanitarian crisis in the country.

As part of Govt efforts to deal with the crisis, the HCF2023 in Kismayo brought together int'l donors, civil society, and those who work in the humanitarian affairs at the forum.

The conference which was opened by Jubaland state president Ahmed Madobe saw the attendance of Deputy Prime Minister, Salah Ahmed Jama and Mohamud Beenabeene, the country's planning minister, and others.

In his keynote speech, SODMA Commissioner emphasized the assistance provided to the various IDPs who have been displaced from their areas. He also urged the Humanitarian relief agencies to double their work in the Country.

Referring a data, collected by the government and its humanitarian partners, he said that more than One Million people have been affected by the flooding, and of these, nearly 400,000 have been displaced in Hirshabelle, South-West State, Jubaland State and the Banadir Region.

In the Hiraan region of Hirshabelle State, an estimated 250,000 people were displaced after the Shabelle River burst its banks and inundated houses and crops. Some of the affected had already been displaced. The people need water, shelter, food, health services and emergency education immediately, according to Moallim.