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Over half of Somalians in need of humanitarian assistance: IOM

Xinhua, May 2, 2017 Adjust font size:

Some 6.2 million of Somalia's 12.3 million population are in urgent need of humanitarian relief as the African country contends with a devastating drought, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) warned Tuesday.

According to the Geneva-based organisation, the lack of both water and food means that over 8,000 people are newly displaced every day, with as many as 600,000 people recorded as internally displaced between November 2016 and March this year.

Amid chronic water shortages, the result of three consecutive years of failed rains, IOM said that animals are dying of thirst and families are having to travel further and further to secure water sources.

The drought is having a dire effect on the population's health which is deteriorating due to severe malnourishment and associated diseases. Outbreaks of cholera and measles have further been reported.

Only 40 percent of IOM's appeal for the drought is funded to this day. Endit