MOGADISHU (SD) – The United Nations says in a recent report that the number of people displaced by the drought in Somalia has increased by 231 percent.

The report was released by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), IOM and UNICEF in a joint statement on the drought situation in Somalia.

“During the reporting period, and as in May 2022, new IDPs (internally displaced people) in Banadir region originated from Lower Shabelle (60 per cent) followed by Bay region (31 per cent) and Bakool (9 per cent) regions,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN Migration Agency (IOM) and the UN Children Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement.

According to the statement, more than 112,400 people were displaced by the drought in June 1-22, an increase of 231% compared to May.

“Somalia is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe” adding “The world needs to act fast before it is too late,” OCHA tweeted Wednesday.

The Somali government has called for international assistance due to the devastating effects of the drought in the country, and has declared a “state of emergency” across the country.