A worker pulls a wooden wheelbarrow at the Hamarweyne Market in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Dec 14, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations has launched the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, seeking $1.6 billion to aid 5.2 million Somalians in need, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

The world body made the effort together with its partners and the Federal and State Governments of Somalia, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at the regular noon briefing.

Stephane Dujarric said Somalia is now confronted with a cholera outbreak, which is "rapidly spreading" across multiple areas within the country

"Last year, Somalia was hit by multiple shocks, including devastating drought, unprecedented heavy rains and flooding, and new displacement. Millions of people also continue to suffer from hunger and malnutrition in Somalia," the spokesman said.

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The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has issued a stark warning, revealing that over 4 million people, constituting nearly a quarter of the country's population, are currently experiencing "acute" food insecurity, according to the spokesman.

Alarming statistics further indicate that two out of every five children under the age of 5 are afflicted by "acute malnutrition," said Dujarric. Additionally, the nation is grappling with a dire situation of internal displacement, with approximately 3.8 million individuals being "internally displaced" due to various crises.

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Adding to the already dire humanitarian landscape, Somalia is now confronted with a cholera outbreak, which is "rapidly spreading" across multiple areas within the country, he said.