hadhwanaag
United Nations
humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths has warned that Somalia is on the brink of
famine following the worst drought in four decades.
During a news
conference in Mogadishu, Griffiths said he has "concrete indications” that
famine may occur in the southern Bay region by the end of the year.
Griffiths was in
Somalia over the past week to assess the impact of the drought and speak with
affected individuals.
His visit to Mogadishu,
where most of the drought-affected Somalians live, was followed by a visit to
Baidoa, one of two southern towns where many people are at risk of starvation.
During his stay in
Baidoa, Griffiths visited camps for internally displaced people and hospitals
treating malnourished children.
"I have been
shocked to my core these past few days by the level of pain and suffering we
see so many Somalis enduring," he said. "Famine is at the door and
today we are sending the final warning."
Griffiths warned that
Baidoa and nearby Burhakaba will be at the epicenter of famine if no action is
taken to prevent it.
"The Somalia Food
Security and Nutrition analysis report, being released today, shows concrete
indications that famine will occur in two areas in the Bay region in
South-Central Somalia between October and December of this year," he said.
"The impending famine is similar to the famine that occurred in the
country from 2010 to 2011.”
The famine that struck
Somalia in 2011 resulted in the deaths of nearly 260,000 Somalis, half of whom
were children.
Currently, the
situation in the Bay region falls just short of a formal declaration of famine.
But thousands there are under threat of starvation.
Overall, the United
Nations and Somali government say 7.8 million people nationwide are in
desperate need of humanitarian assistance as the drought drags on and the food
situation gets worse.
Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine has contributed to the crisis in Somalia, which is suffering from a
shortage of humanitarian aid as international donors focus on Europe.
Somalia received at
least 90% of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine before the war and has been hit
hard by scarcity and the sharp rise in food prices.
VOA
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