Somalia is on the spot for yet another immense plight, and impending famine – Save the Children has recently warned. Evidences indicate that this time around; we could be looking at greater damages when compared to the 2011 famine that killed more than 260,000 lives.
12 million Somali residents will not escape this adverse food crisis, and at least 50, 000 children are staring at death on the face. And you see, frustrations are so profound with little hope remaining; especially now that a lot of donors exited the region lately. And everyone will suffer – children, women and men alike. Women support groups have been rendered dysfunctional because donors exited; so you can imagine how vulnerable they are.
The UN has also declared an official famine in these four nations; South Sudan, Nigeria, Yemen, and Somalia. But Somalia is thought to be one country that will be hit really hard when compared to the other three.
In fact, according to Save the Children, the suggested situations in this country could be even more catastrophic than indicated in the preliminary reports. You see, food crisis when it comes to developing countries can be underestimated until it is essentially too late.
“What is seen today is just but an indication of a tipping ship – look at the significantly worsening malnutrition cases; they tell it all, and famine isn’t something that we should still imagine now, it is real”, that is according to the managing director of Save the Children in the country, Hassan Saadi Noor. Fortunately, all isn’t lost; there are great chances to save the nation, and that is to act now. If aid organizations flex their muscles the hardest, they should know that they stand great chances to salvage situations. You see, there are great prospects of preventing such a great humanitarian crisis.
Save the Children has categorized Somalia in category one emergency, looking at the fact that there are numerous life-threatening situations such as war. Healthcare workers at Save the Children healthcare facilities and clinics in Puntland, one of the hardest hit areas in Somalia has indicated the tremendous numbers in malnutrition in areas coming through their doors. An approximated 363,000 children have received treatment to deal avert the malnutrition, 71,000 of them severe cases. Aft that is not all, Somalia Nutrition Cluster has foreseen that the number of malnutrition cases is more likely to increase to 944,000 cases, with 185,000 severe cases in 2019. Urgent aid should be provided to this austerely drought-stricken country. The United Nations has already warned that at least 50,000 children are facing death.
Somali food shortage has something that needs to be acted upon fast; and if nothing is done, there can be more detrimental problems.