US-backed Somalia State Faces Starvation
Recent nutrition surveys conducted across the country indicate that an estimated 218,000 children under the age of five are acutely malnourished — a seven per cent increase since January this year.
By ALLAN OLINGO | The East African
Somalia is staring at a fresh food crisis due to delayed rains, rising food prices and persistent conflict.
The fragile food security situation in the Horn of Africa country is expected to deteriorate in the next few months. A population of close to three million people is staring at starvation, according to the United Nations.
Speaking while releasing the Somalia Food Security Results, Phillipe Lazarrini, the UN’s humanitarian chief for Somalia, said: “It is terrible to think that with almost 2.9 million people in need in Somalia, the aid appeal is only 30 per cent funded with $658 million still needed to end 2014.”
“The situation today is worse than 2010, the year before the last famine. We raised the alarm three months ago and have since raised early response mechanisms. So far we haven’t seen the response we need and this is making the situation dire.”
The UN said that despite the slow response from aid groups and governments, it has started distributing food aid in several areas within Somalia.
Laurent Bukera, Somalia country director for the World Food Programme, said that food insecurity in Somalia is expected to worsen over the next several months because of poor rains, conflict and rising food prices.
“We have scaled up to meet growing needs, but funding shortages meant the organisation risked running short of vital supplies by September, leaving us with no alternative than to reduce food assistance to most vulnerable — IDPs and malnourished children,” Mr Bukera said.
UN response
The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has released $20 million to Somalia, the largest allocation to a single country out of the total $75 million released from CERF to fund relief operations in two of the world’s most underfunded emergencies — the West African Sahel and the Horn of Africa.
“These are regions that were front-page news just two years ago, and could fall back into crisis if we don’t help now,” emergency relief co-ordinator Valerie Amos, said in a statement.
CERF pools donors’ contributions into a single fund so that money is available as soon as the needs arises.
Globally, the fund allocated almost $482 million in 2013. Out of this, $175 million went towards relief efforts in underfunded crises.
“The CERF allocation will provide much needed emergency assistance to people facing immense challenges in Somalia,” said Mr Lazarrini. “Donors need to act now to alleviate the suffering of the Somali people, by providing crucial resources to enable humanitarian workers to respond now, when needs are greatest.”
Already, the Somali government has appealed for help, noting that close to half a million Mogadishu residents are in need of food aid. Out of this population, 350,000 are estimated to have been displaced by Somalia’s decade-long conflict.
In 2011, more than 250,000 people, half of them children, died in a devastating famine.
Last month, a United Nations assessment report showed “above emergency levels of malnutrition” in seven cities, including Garowe, Galkayu and Kismayo, with the “highest deterioration” reported in Mogadishu.
The report highlights funding shortages and a volatile security situation, which have at times restricted aid delivery to the settlements as a contributory element to the current situation.
“The food crisis was expected to transition into an emergency phase with some 203,000 children reportedly malnourished, and 50,000 severely malnourished in Mogadishu. We have people who are in need of humanitarian assistance such as food, health and nutrition support,” the UN assessment report warns.
According to the acting UN country representative for Somalia Rudi Van Aaken, the current food security crisis is a result of rains, shrinking humanitarian assistance and access, increasing malnutrition, conflict and surging food prices
In February this year, FAO’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit for Somalia (FSNAU) and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews Net), estimated that 857,000 people remained in crisis and emergency requiring urgent humanitarian assistance through mid-2014.
“This is not a declaration of famine but definitely the situation as it is will worsen. The Somalia Food Security Results 2014 report shows that among those in danger are internally displaced persons, who constitute a majority at 62 per cent of the people in crisis and emergency, followed by rural and urban populations at 27 and 11 per cent respectively,” said Van Aaken.
According to FAO, the populations experiencing food security crisis are found in large numbers in rural and urban areas and among displaced populations of Bari, Nugaal, South Mudug, Galgaduud, Hiraan, Middle Shabelle, Lower Shabelle, Bakool, Gedo, Middle Juba and Banadir regions. Other areas are Mogadishu, Kismayo, Dhobley, Dollow, and Dhusamareb.
Terror group
Terro group Al Shabaab has also been blamed on the current crisis after it blocked major trade routes, which doubled food prices in Mogadishu and other towns.
“Trade disruption has also exacerbated the food insecurity situation in urban areas that came under government control following the military offensive against insurgents in March.
In these areas, access roads remain under insurgent control and trade flow is largely blocked, resulting in sharp increases in staple food prices.
Cereal prices have quadrupled in Wajid (Bakool) and doubled in Hudur town (Bakool), Middle Shabelle and Hiraan (Buloburte district) regions between January and August,” the assessment report says.
- See more at: http://www.ntvuganda.co.ug/news/international/11/sep/2014/war-torn-somalia-faces-starvation#sthash.fWQELmcD.dpuf
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| US-backed Somalia Federal Government cannot prevent mass starvation in the Horn of Africa state. |
By ALLAN OLINGO | The East African
Somalia is staring at a fresh food crisis due to delayed rains, rising food prices and persistent conflict.
The fragile food security situation in the Horn of Africa country is expected to deteriorate in the next few months. A population of close to three million people is staring at starvation, according to the United Nations.
Speaking while releasing the Somalia Food Security Results, Phillipe Lazarrini, the UN’s humanitarian chief for Somalia, said: “It is terrible to think that with almost 2.9 million people in need in Somalia, the aid appeal is only 30 per cent funded with $658 million still needed to end 2014.”
“The situation today is worse than 2010, the year before the last famine. We raised the alarm three months ago and have since raised early response mechanisms. So far we haven’t seen the response we need and this is making the situation dire.”
The UN said that despite the slow response from aid groups and governments, it has started distributing food aid in several areas within Somalia.
Laurent Bukera, Somalia country director for the World Food Programme, said that food insecurity in Somalia is expected to worsen over the next several months because of poor rains, conflict and rising food prices.
“We have scaled up to meet growing needs, but funding shortages meant the organisation risked running short of vital supplies by September, leaving us with no alternative than to reduce food assistance to most vulnerable — IDPs and malnourished children,” Mr Bukera said.
UN response
The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has released $20 million to Somalia, the largest allocation to a single country out of the total $75 million released from CERF to fund relief operations in two of the world’s most underfunded emergencies — the West African Sahel and the Horn of Africa.
“These are regions that were front-page news just two years ago, and could fall back into crisis if we don’t help now,” emergency relief co-ordinator Valerie Amos, said in a statement.
CERF pools donors’ contributions into a single fund so that money is available as soon as the needs arises.
Globally, the fund allocated almost $482 million in 2013. Out of this, $175 million went towards relief efforts in underfunded crises.
“The CERF allocation will provide much needed emergency assistance to people facing immense challenges in Somalia,” said Mr Lazarrini. “Donors need to act now to alleviate the suffering of the Somali people, by providing crucial resources to enable humanitarian workers to respond now, when needs are greatest.”
Already, the Somali government has appealed for help, noting that close to half a million Mogadishu residents are in need of food aid. Out of this population, 350,000 are estimated to have been displaced by Somalia’s decade-long conflict.
In 2011, more than 250,000 people, half of them children, died in a devastating famine.
Last month, a United Nations assessment report showed “above emergency levels of malnutrition” in seven cities, including Garowe, Galkayu and Kismayo, with the “highest deterioration” reported in Mogadishu.
The report highlights funding shortages and a volatile security situation, which have at times restricted aid delivery to the settlements as a contributory element to the current situation.
“The food crisis was expected to transition into an emergency phase with some 203,000 children reportedly malnourished, and 50,000 severely malnourished in Mogadishu. We have people who are in need of humanitarian assistance such as food, health and nutrition support,” the UN assessment report warns.
According to the acting UN country representative for Somalia Rudi Van Aaken, the current food security crisis is a result of rains, shrinking humanitarian assistance and access, increasing malnutrition, conflict and surging food prices
In February this year, FAO’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit for Somalia (FSNAU) and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews Net), estimated that 857,000 people remained in crisis and emergency requiring urgent humanitarian assistance through mid-2014.
“This is not a declaration of famine but definitely the situation as it is will worsen. The Somalia Food Security Results 2014 report shows that among those in danger are internally displaced persons, who constitute a majority at 62 per cent of the people in crisis and emergency, followed by rural and urban populations at 27 and 11 per cent respectively,” said Van Aaken.
According to FAO, the populations experiencing food security crisis are found in large numbers in rural and urban areas and among displaced populations of Bari, Nugaal, South Mudug, Galgaduud, Hiraan, Middle Shabelle, Lower Shabelle, Bakool, Gedo, Middle Juba and Banadir regions. Other areas are Mogadishu, Kismayo, Dhobley, Dollow, and Dhusamareb.
Terror group
Terro group Al Shabaab has also been blamed on the current crisis after it blocked major trade routes, which doubled food prices in Mogadishu and other towns.
“Trade disruption has also exacerbated the food insecurity situation in urban areas that came under government control following the military offensive against insurgents in March.
In these areas, access roads remain under insurgent control and trade flow is largely blocked, resulting in sharp increases in staple food prices.
Cereal prices have quadrupled in Wajid (Bakool) and doubled in Hudur town (Bakool), Middle Shabelle and Hiraan (Buloburte district) regions between January and August,” the assessment report says.
- See more at: http://www.ntvuganda.co.ug/news/international/11/sep/2014/war-torn-somalia-faces-starvation#sthash.fWQELmcD.dpuf
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