Hargeisa (Dawan Africa) - The United Arab Emirates has donated a major consignment of emergency food aid to support 9,000 families affected by drought across Somaliland. The delivery was received by the Drought Response Committee during an official handover event held Saturday in Hargeisa.
Representing the UAE, Abdalla Al-Naqbi, Director of the Trade Office in Somaliland, handed over the assistance to Somaliland Vice President Mohamed Ali Aw Abdi, who also chairs the region’s Drought Response Committee.
The donation forms part of a growing humanitarian response to severe food and water shortages in northern Somalia. According to the committee, the food aid will be distributed directly to communities experiencing the highest levels of drought-related displacement and hardship.
In a statement released by the Presidential Spokesperson’s Office, the committee expressed gratitude for the UAE’s ongoing support:
“The committee expressed thanks to the UAE representative for delivering emergency food assistance to the people of Somaliland who have been hard hit by the drought,” said Hussein Aden Ige (Deyr), Spokesperson for the President of Somaliland.
In addition to the food aid, the Drought Relief Committee also received a donation of 120 million Somaliland Shillings from the staff of the Central Bank of Somaliland, delivered through its Governor Abdinassir Ahmed Hirsi.
The relief effort follows a national emergency appeal launched on July 21 by President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi “Irro”, who urged international donors and humanitarian agencies to scale up their response.
Despite lacking formal international recognition. Humanitarian agencies have warned that the current drought, coupled with inflation and fragile infrastructure, is pushing vulnerable communities into worsening conditions. Aid groups are coordinating logistics for rapid deployment of relief supplies across the region.
