UN appeals for assistance for Somalia after finding over 700 dead kids in feeding facilities. Tuesday, as 200,000 people are on the verge of hunger due to drought, the United Nations implored the world community not to forget Somalia. The humanitarian affairs chief also pleaded for greater supplies.
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths spoke during a video news conference from Mogadishu. He remembered the tale of a two-year-old child he saw on Sunday suffering at a hospital.
According to Griffiths, she passed away today, right before the conference.
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Immediate Aid
Griffiths emphasized the significance of aiding drought victims before they are forced to evacuate, saying that despite the misery of the hospital visit, the child and her family's situation is "especially worrying" since it "is probably worse in the locations from which they come."
Griffiths had given the nation a "last warning" about the impending famine on Monday.
Since late 2020, Somalia has seen four dry seasons, putting 213,000 people in danger of hunger.
Although the actual number may be far higher, the UN reported that about 730 children had died in feeding centers throughout Somalia since January.
Griffiths estimates it will cost an additional billion dollars to support a humanitarian strategy for Somalia, "on top of the about 1.4 billion that we have in the budget right now."
He pleaded with nations whose generosity has decreased due to economic issues brought on by the conflict in Ukraine, "Please don't forget Somalia,"
We've been shaking the trees and beating the drum to attempt to garner widespread world notice since this is unprecedented, he added.
Ethiopia and Kenya (are) probably not far behind Somalia at this point.
Nutrition centers in Somalia: 730 children dead, according to the UN
Rising Number of Deaths
The United Nations said Tuesday that 730 children have died in feeding centers across Somalia since January. Still, she warned the number might be far higher because the nation is on the verge of starvation.
Millions of people in the Horn of Africa are in danger of hunger due to the region's worst drought in 40 years, which has destroyed livestock and crops due to four failed rainy seasons.
According to Wafaa Saeed, the UNICEF representative for Somalia, malnutrition has reached an unprecedented level.
She told reporters in Geneva through a video link from Mogadishu that "about 730 children are reported to have perished in nutrition centers around the country" between January and July.
We believe this figure might be higher since many child fatalities go unreported. This represents fewer than one percent of the children hospitalized, treated, and released.
According to her, around 1.5 million kids, nearly half under five, are in danger of acute malnutrition.
Saeed estimated that 385,000 of them may require treatment for severe acute malnutrition.
Raising Warning
The UN issued a dire warning on Monday, saying that Somalia was on the verge of famine for the second time in less than ten years and that there was not much time left to save lives in the parched nation.
Because many of the water sources had dried up, the drought, according to Seed, had caused a water and sanitation catastrophe.
She added that we have about 4.5 million people who require emergency water supplies, many of which have dried up due to misuse.
This number is anticipated to climb as the drought intensifies, and UNICEF notes that since January, water prices have jumped by between 55% and 85%.
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