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WHO seeks 10 mln USD to scale up health response in Somalia

Xinhua, February 28, 2017 Adjust font size:

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday that it requires 10 million U.S. dollars to help provide critical health services for 1.5 million Somalis currently affected by severe drought conditions and a worsening food crisis.

WHO said the funds which is part of the UN appeal for the first six months of 2017 will enable the UN agency to provide medical supplies to health facilities in drought-affected areas.

"Somalia is now at a critical point as a result of this drought and environmental hazards and lack of basic services," WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Mahmoud Fikri said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.

The humanitarian situation in Somalia continues to deteriorate, and there is a high risk that the country will face its third famine in 25 years.

More than 6.2 million people -- half of the total population -- are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, including almost 3 million facing a food security crisis.

Nearly 5.5 million people are at risk of contracting waterborne diseases, more than half of whom are women and children under five years of age.

Fikri said less than half of the population in Somalia has access to basic health services and WHO is providing all possible support to address the ongoing challenges and reduce the dire consequences of drought and pre-famine.

Acute drought in many parts of Somalia has reduced the availability of clean water sources, and the food crisis has given way to malnutrition. Endit