At Least 418 Dead from Drought and Food Crisis in Somalia

Suffering from a lack of food and clean water across many regions of Somalia, at least 418 Somalis have died so far this year from malnutrition and Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD). Since there are few hospitals or clinics outside of Mogadishu, it is likely that more deaths from this disaster have gone unreported. With insufficient aid for those in need, more Somalis continue to die from this crisis every week. Most of the deaths from this disaster have been in the regions of South Central Somalia, where international relief organizations and the UN have very little access due to the conflict.

Last week, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET) announced that the eastern Horn of Africa is currently experiencing THE MOST SEVERE FOOD SECURITY EMERGENCY IN THE WORLD. Although Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti have also been hit by the recent drought, the lack of access for aid agencies in the South Central Regions, has meant that most of the deaths from this disaster have been located there.

The fatalities from the drought and food crisis have not been concentrated in any one province. Deaths have been reported on the streets of Mogadishu, in Baidoa in Bay Province, in villages in Lower and Middle Shabelle Provinces, in Gedo, Bakool and Mudug Provinces, in Puntland in the north, and more. With the conflict having gone on for so many years, towns and villages in Somalia have almost no capacity to report on health crises on their own. Those who have reported the various deaths have included UN agencies, news agencies, and relief and development organizations.

The drought which has only ended recently has been called the worst in decades, going all the way back to 1995. Entire herds of cattle have been wiped out, while crops withered and died from the lack of rain. The drought was so severe, that it’s expected to take years for rural Somali communities to recover from this disaster.

Everyone from international relief organizations, to the government of Somalia, to  suffering Somalis themselves, are pleading to the international community to provide more aid for this crisis.

Both the United Nations, and international relief organizations are reporting a major funding shortfall to deal with the current crisis. As a result, there are additional food shortages. For those Somalis who are still receiving food aid, their food rations have been reduced. In some areas, food distributions have already been eliminated.