The humanitarian crisis in Somalia is worsening with the number of malnourished children in need of immediate assistance doubling in nutritional centres in the Southwest of the country according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
At least 230 children are currently receiving life saving assistance in an ICRC run nutritional centre in Baidoa well beyond its 150 bed capacity compared to 100 children at this time last year.
The United Nations estimates that more than 6 million people are affected by drought but just about 3 million have been reached by food relief.
The ICRC says it has noted an 80% increase in the number of malnourished children in its feeding centres in Baidoa – one of the epicenters of the ongoing humanitarian crises in Somalia.
Between January and April this year, the feeding and stabilization centres have treated more than 12,000 malnourished children compared to 7,000 during the same period last year.
Humanitarian aid agencies are racing against time to save lives and avoid a repeat of 2011 when the famine claimed at least quarter a million lives.
Global Director Operations of the ICRC Dominic Stillhart says: “We hope that we will not see the same situation as 2011, although it depends on how good the rainy season will be this year.”
In total 20 million people in Nigeria, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Yemen are faced with starvation.
Stillhart says: “The main drivers of this food insecurity in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria is protracted conflict and lack of respect for international humanitarian law”
The United Nations indicates that at least $831 Million is needed to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in Somalia.
– By Sarah Kimani
