The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Director for the East and Horn of Africa, Mohammed Abdiker, met with members of the African-Canadian diaspora in Ottawa on Friday to discuss how the IOM can better engage with the diaspora communities on developments in Africa.
Abdiker is in charge of the International Organization for Migration’s operations in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The director gave the participants, composed of civil society and non-profit leaders, an update on the current drought and migratory crisis in the Horn of Africa.
One of the focal points of the conversation was how diaspora groups could pressure the Canadian government to direct more assistance to the East and Horn of Africa crises.
The meeting comes as extreme drought in Somalia has displaced over a million people from their homes as Somalia continues to be at risk of famine.
The UN’s climate models predict that La Nia conditions will persist, likely resulting in a historic fifth failed rainy season from October to November.
