Drought brings severe famine to Somalia

Famine in Somalia could kill hundreds of thousands of people this year if the country does not receive immediate assistance, aid groups are warning.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), created by the U.S. Agency for International Development, this month said nearly 3 million people in Somalia are facing acute food insecurity. The network warned that staple food prices are expected to increase sharply this year, and more livestock mortality will likely occur as water sources continue to deplete. Some 363,000 acutely malnourished children need urgent treatment, the network added.

Warmer El Niño weather conditions have left stark effects across some southern and eastern African countries, including Malawi and Ethiopia. In mostly rural Somalia, rivers continue to dry up, farmers battle with near total crop failure, and livestock deaths remain on the rise. Somalia’s government said the drought is the worst the country has faced in 25 years.

Nicholas Kay, Britain’s envoy for the Horn of Africa, said the country is planning a conference in May to discuss the famine in Somalia, but the deepening crisis has created the need for an immediate solution.

“If by the time the conference in May happens we are having to sound the alarm and discuss the famine issue, that is going to be too late,” Kay said. “There may be hundreds of thousands of people dead or about to die.”

The United Nations in January appealed for $864 million to provide immediate help to millions of Somalis in need of assistance.

The famine network in January issued a global alert as Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen, and northeastern Nigeria battled with famine. The severity of the shortage in the four countries would this year result in unprecedented food assistance needs compared to recent decades, FEWS NET said.

“Scaling up life-saving humanitarian assistance urgently and providing livelihood protection support are equally important in slowing the tide of drought and hunger-related displacement,” FEWS NET said in a statement.