How Minnesotans can help people in Somalia dealing with famine, drought

MINNEAPOLIS -- There's a dire situation on the other side of the world that's having a big impact on a community of Minnesotans. The images are graphic and heartbreaking.

A drought is causing havoc in Somalia, the country of origin for about 70,000 Minnesotans. Every minute a severely malnourished child goes into a Somalia hospital.

But there's a way all Minnesotans can support the people of Somalia.

Somali culture is Minnesota culture and now, Somalia is suffering. There's extreme heat, starvation and a deadly drought.

WCCO spoke with a St. Paul Imam and law professor who is from Mogadishu.

"These images are just heartbreaking. I think every Somali, wherever they live, live with the pain," Imam Hassan Jamici of the Minnesota Dawah institute said. "You have two big challenges. Number one, not enough aid coming and, number two, if it's coming, blocked by the merciless group Al-Shabab. They just did an attack a week ago."

His hope is that the U.S. and U.N. will strengthen the country's army so they can fight back, and that the people of Minnesota will have their neighbors' backs and donate for relief.

WCCO also talked with a Minneapolis resident who is on the ground in Somalia to help the government.

"There is a major famine in Somalia. Global warming is real in Somalia. You would see animals on the side of the street die because of lack of water or lack of food," Saciido Shaie said via Zoom.

Amidst the images there so wrenching, she also sees rebuilding.

"There's beautiful things happening and there's hope. Even though all those other things are happening. Hope is there," she said.

Shaie suggests donating to a Minnesota-based group, the American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa. Click here for more.