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UN warns of famine risk in Somalia amid severe drought

Xinhua, April 28, 2017 Adjust font size:

The UN humanitarian agency on Friday warned of a famine risk in Somalia due to devastating drought ravaging the Horn of Africa nation.

Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Vincent Lelei said some 1.7 million people have been reached with food security response activities in Somalia as part of the ongoing effort to avert a famine in the country.

Lelei said in a statement that drought response still needs to be scaled up to meet the increasing needs of 6.2 million people who are in need of humanitarian assistance.

"Already more than 600,000 of these people have uprooted themselves out of their homes because they need assistance in terms of food, water and health services," said Lelei noted.

The crisis in the country has been exacerbated by diseases such as acute watery diarrhea (AWD)/cholera and measles.

More than 28,000 AWD/cholera cases have been reported in 2017, including over 540 related deaths, according to the UN.

The relief official noted that the need to provide humanitarian assistance to the millions of people affected by the drought crisis continues to outpace response efforts.

"Five months into 2017, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate and the risk of famine is still persisting. This is of immediate concern to all of us, whether it is the Government of Somalia, the people of Somalia, NGOs, the UN, everybody," he said.

Lelei highlighted a series of life-saving interventions that have been supported by the government, aid agencies and Somalis living at home and abroad.

He said food security response activities have been concentrated in the regions of Bakool, Bay, Galgaduud, Hiiran and Lower and Middle Shabelle. "This number has gone up very quickly from 1.1 million earlier in the year," he said.

According to UN, nutrition services have reached 332,000 people, including 70,000 children. Lelei said 225 sites have been established for the medical treatment of children.

Nearly eight million livestock animals have also been treated for effects of the drought as part of an initiative that will encompass 20 million livestock animals in the next three months. Endit