TFG Seeks International Assistance as Severe Draught Affects Somalia

By Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar

As severe draught affected more regions in Somalia, the transitional federal government (TFG) of Somalia alarmed international community. TFG looks for emergency aid assistance to the needy Somali people especially those living in draught affected regions.

Somali deputy minister for agriculture Hassan Yaqub Ges Adde told reporters in Mogadishu on Sunday evening that he is sending a particular request to the UN food agency and FAO. The minister hopes that aids may reach hundreds of thousands of people who are on the verge of death because of food and water shortage.

"People are dying and I am afraid that humanitarian disaster will happen in the draught affected regions in Somalia if life-saving food assistance doesn't come on time," the Somali deputy minister for agriculture told reporters in Mogadishu on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile the minister accused the Al-Qaeda-linked AL Shabaab militants for restricting the international aid organizations from reaching the needy people in regions under their control.

"I call on the militants to lift the embargo they imposed on the needy civilians," the minister said adding that the militants are a major problem to the people in Somalia.

Last week the militants confiscated dozens of water wells from ordinary people in the southern Somali region of Lower Shabelle.

Al shabaab militants claim they have links to Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda Network. The group have been fighting Somali government for the past several years in a bid to topple it and replace it with Islamic state in Somalia.

Shafi'i Mohyaddin Abokar is the NewsBlaze Somalia reporter. Contact him through NewsBlaze.