Hormuud Salaam Foundation pledges $700,000 for Somalia drought relief
MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Hormuud Salaam Foundation said it is committing $700,000 in emergency aid to families hit by severe drought across south-central Somalia, aiming to deliver water, food and other essentials as conditions deteriorate.
- Advertisement -
The foundation — the humanitarian arm of Hormuud Telecom and Salaam Somali Bank — said the funding will target communities facing worsening shortages after months of below-average rainfall that have dried traditional water sources and devastated livestock herds, a cornerstone of the rural economy.
“Fulfilling our responsibility to rescue our community, we have donated $700,000 to the Somali people affected by the droughts across the country’s regions, ensuring they have access to water, food and basic essential services,” the foundation said in a statement.
Alongside the financial pledge, the organization has launched a large-scale water distribution campaign in some of the worst-affected areas. Initial relief operations are reaching parts of the south and center, including:
- Gedo
- Lower Juba
- Bay
- Bakool
- Lower Shabelle
The intervention is designed to ease immediate suffering as water shortages deepen and prices for staples continue to climb. According to the foundation, the current drought has left 6.5 million people facing hunger nationwide, with pastoralists in some areas losing up to 90 percent of their livestock.
Local aid groups and community leaders have warned that rural families reliant on rain-fed agriculture and herding are bearing the brunt of the crisis. As ponds and shallow wells run dry, many households are traveling long distances to find potable water, while others are moving in search of aid — a dynamic that is displacing families and compounding vulnerability.
“At a time when many families are enduring uncertainty and loss, timely support can make a meaningful difference,” the foundation said.
The foundation framed its response as part of a broader commitment to social responsibility during emergencies, including droughts, floods and fires. It also cautioned that present conditions echo 2022, when a record-breaking drought pushed Somalia to the brink of famine and triggered mass hardship across the country.
Aid groups say rapid support is crucial to prevent further deterioration. The foundation’s package is intended to bridge urgent gaps in water trucking, food assistance and basic supplies while other responders scale up. In hard-hit areas, access to clean water remains the most critical need, followed by food, sanitation and health services.
The organization said it will continue to expand distributions and coordinate with local partners as needs evolve. “Hormuud Salaam Foundation will continue to stand with the Somali people and support humanitarian efforts that bring relief, restore dignity and strengthen community resilience,” it said.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
