EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva meeting with Somali Refugees

Doolow is the last stop for Somalis running from hunger and conflict to neighbouring Ethiopia. The local community is itself hard-hit by the drought. What I saw there was grim but I also took some positive notes from my visit.

The first encouraging sign was the local chieftain sitting down with our partner organisation Coopi and taking an active part in the process of distributing food supplies to fellow Somalis arriving from the worst-hit regions of their country. Despite the closeness of conflict, and heavily armed security guards around them, humanitarian workers feel safe there. The chief and the local community are their protectors – and food finds its way to those who most need it, be it locals or internally displaced persons.