PRESS RELEASE
Urgent action needed as famine looms over Somalia – UNICEF
This is a summary of what was said by UNICEF Somalia Representative, Wafaa Saeed, to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva
UNICEF spokespersons are available for interview
GENEVA/MOGADISHU/DUBLIN, 6 September 2022 – “You heard the warnings yesterday about a looming famine in areas of the Bay Region of Somalia between October-December this year. It underlines the scale of the crisis Somalia is facing and the urgent need to quickly scale up support.
“Bay is not the only region facing this deep humanitarian crisis. 74 districts across Somalia are affected, out of which we have prioritised 12 as needing urgent, urgent support.
“This is a malnutrition crisis: Malnutrition has reached crisis levels – 1.5 million children, nearly half of the under-five population, are likely to have acute malnutrition. Of these 385,000 will need treatment for severe acute malnutrition. These are unprecedented numbers.
“Water and sanitation are just as important as food for children and families facing famine and food insecurity. And this is a water crisis: 4.5 million people need emergency water supply, and the figure is expected to rise as the drought worsens. In some areas, water prices have climbed up by between 55 to 85% since January 2022. No matter how much food a malnourished child eats, he or she will not get better if the water they are drinking is not safe.
Fears for children
“We worry about malnutrition, whose numbers, as I said earlier, are unprecedented. Some 730 children have been reported to have died in food and nutrition centers across the country between January-July this year but the numbers could be more as many deaths go unreported.
“We worry about disease outbreaks. Somalia’s history shows that when high levels of severe acute malnutrition in children combine with deadly outbreaks of disease, child mortality rises dramatically – with tragic consequences. Disease outbreaks have spiked between January-July, with at least 8,400 suspected acute watery diarrhoea (AWD)/cholera cases and around 13,000 suspected measles cases (78 per cent children under 5).
“We worry about the education of affected children: We saw in 2017 that 90% of children who lost access to education never returned to school. Currently, more than 3 million school-aged children have been directly affected by the drought and 900,000 are at risk of dropping out. Half are girls.
“The safety and protection of children is a major concern: We have seen a rise in the number of separated and unaccompanied children. Since January, their numbers have increased by 81% compared to last year.
“Could the situation have been prevented if we had acted sooner?
“This is Somalia’s third drought in a decade. The first drought, in 2011, killed an estimated 260,000 people, many of them children.
“The worst effects of the second, in 2017, were mitigated because early warning systems kicked in, donors channelled aid quickly, government institutions were more solid, and there were more operational organizations on the ground.
“The response to our appeal this time was slower. By July, only 65% of our total drought appeal of US$112m was funded and less than a third of the UN appeal of US$ 1 billion. That situation has now changed remarkably in the last month or so.
“What needs to be done now?
“As of July, 223,000 children with severe acute malnutrition had been treated (58% of the 2022 target) and 1 million people reached with sustainable water (30% of 2022 target). Another 1.3 million people (25% of target) were reached with temporary water supply. 1.2 million children had been vaccinated against. This was a response to the worsening measles outbreak. Ongoing efforts to prevent disease outbreaks include providing water and sanitation in IDP locations and stepping up vaccinations against measles and cholera. We urgently need donors to step up and fully fund the UN’s Humanitarian Response Plan. We also need access to be facilitated to deliver impartial relief for children in need, in accordance with international humanitarian law.
“We also need radical change to stop famine happening again – ensuring donors commit long term funding to help families build resilience to the effects of climate change.”
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ENDS
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
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For more information, please contact:
Danny Smits, UNICEF Ireland, +353 87 1308070, danny@unicef.ie
