Funding shortfalls are severely impacting humanitarian aid efforts in Somalia, where 4.6 million people are affected by drought. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that brutal cuts to aid budgets are hampering efforts to assist those in need. The drought has displaced at least 120,000 people between September and December, with water prices rising, food becoming scarce, and livestock dying. Additionally, over 75,000 students have dropped out of school.
The situation is expected to worsen with the upcoming dry season, which runs from January to March, potentially leading to increased water scarcity, livestock deaths, and food insecurity. Humanitarian agencies are providing cash aid, animal fodder, and emergency assistance, but their efforts are limited by a lack of funding. Despite a recent $10 million allocation from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund, only approximately $370 million has been received from the $1.4 billion Somalia response plan for 2025.
In other news, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has warned that Sudan’s war, nearing 1,000 days, has reached catastrophic levels, with civilians bearing the brunt of widespread violence, displacement, and humanitarian access constraints. The conflict has expanded to other regions, damaging critical infrastructure and worsening food insecurity and displacement across borders.
In Nigeria, two suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were arrested in Lagos State on December 21. The suspects, identified as Modu Gana and Ibrahim Dugge, were detained following intelligence that they had fled the conflict-hit North-east. The arrests came amid Nigeria’s prolonged insurgency, which has lasted over 15 years and spread beyond the Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
Meanwhile, the Kenyan government has repatriated 119 nationals rescued from illegal online scam compounds in Myanmar. The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs said the raids dismantled criminal syndicates running sophisticated fraud hubs that recruited workers through false job offers. Authorities warned citizens to be cautious of fraudulent overseas employment opportunities amid rising risks from organized criminal groups.
In Ghana, the government has rejected the term “Detty December” to describe the festive season, citing negative connotations. The official for diaspora affairs, Kofi Okyere-Darko, said the government does not want the label linked with the country, despite the festive season’s major economic benefits. Ghana has been promoting itself as a destination for people from the continent and the diaspora over the past few years, launching initiatives such as the Year of Return in 2019.
