Geneva: Around 730 children have died in nutrition centers across the country. Somalia since january United Nations With famine in the country, the real figure could be much higher, he said on Tuesday.
Millions of people around the world are at risk of starvation Horn of AfricaLivestock and crops were wiped out after four unsuccessful rains, which is reeling from the worst drought in four decades.
“Malnutrition has reached unprecedented levels,” said Wafa SaeedSomalia representative for UN Children’s Agency UNICEF.
“About 730 children are reported to have died in nutrition centers across the country,” he told reporters via video-link from Mogadishu in Geneva.
“It is less than the one percent of children who are admitted, cured and discharged. But we also think the number could be higher, as child deaths are not reported ”
He said about 1.5 million children – almost half under the age of five – are at risk of severe malnutrition.
Sayeed said 385,000 of them would require treatment for severe severe malnutrition.
– On the verge of famine – The United Nations warned Monday that Somalia was on the brink of famine for the second time in just over a decade, and that time was running out to save lives in the drought-stricken country.
Seed said the drought has led to a water and sanitation crisis, as many water sources have dried up.
“Many of them have also dried up due to overuse, and we have about 4.5 million people who need emergency water supplies,” she said.
This figure is expected to rise as droughts worsen and according to UNICEF, the price of water has increased from 55 percent to 85 percent since January.
“No matter how much food a malnourished child eats, if he does not get clean water, he will not be able to recover,” Saeed said.
UNICEF is particularly concerned because history shows that when levels of severe acute malnutrition among children are combined with outbreaks of deadly disease, child mortality increases dramatically.
“We are really very concerned about this because we are also seeing an increase in outbreaks of acute watery diarrhea,” Saeed said.
“This year there are more than 8,400 cases and about 13,000 cases of measles. And this year alone the measles cases are more than the cases reported in 2020 and 2021 combined.”
Humanitarian agencies have been sounding alarm bells for months and say the situation in the Horn of Africa – including Kenya and Ethiopia – is likely to worsen as there is possibly a fifth unsuccessful rainy season.
UN agencies say that in Somalia alone, about 7.8 million people, or half the population, are facing a level of crisis.
Nearly a million have fled their homes in desperate search of food and water.
Millions of people around the world are at risk of starvation Horn of AfricaLivestock and crops were wiped out after four unsuccessful rains, which is reeling from the worst drought in four decades.
“Malnutrition has reached unprecedented levels,” said Wafa SaeedSomalia representative for UN Children’s Agency UNICEF.
“About 730 children are reported to have died in nutrition centers across the country,” he told reporters via video-link from Mogadishu in Geneva.
“It is less than the one percent of children who are admitted, cured and discharged. But we also think the number could be higher, as child deaths are not reported ”
He said about 1.5 million children – almost half under the age of five – are at risk of severe malnutrition.
Sayeed said 385,000 of them would require treatment for severe severe malnutrition.
– On the verge of famine – The United Nations warned Monday that Somalia was on the brink of famine for the second time in just over a decade, and that time was running out to save lives in the drought-stricken country.
Seed said the drought has led to a water and sanitation crisis, as many water sources have dried up.
“Many of them have also dried up due to overuse, and we have about 4.5 million people who need emergency water supplies,” she said.
This figure is expected to rise as droughts worsen and according to UNICEF, the price of water has increased from 55 percent to 85 percent since January.
“No matter how much food a malnourished child eats, if he does not get clean water, he will not be able to recover,” Saeed said.
UNICEF is particularly concerned because history shows that when levels of severe acute malnutrition among children are combined with outbreaks of deadly disease, child mortality increases dramatically.
“We are really very concerned about this because we are also seeing an increase in outbreaks of acute watery diarrhea,” Saeed said.
“This year there are more than 8,400 cases and about 13,000 cases of measles. And this year alone the measles cases are more than the cases reported in 2020 and 2021 combined.”
Humanitarian agencies have been sounding alarm bells for months and say the situation in the Horn of Africa – including Kenya and Ethiopia – is likely to worsen as there is possibly a fifth unsuccessful rainy season.
UN agencies say that in Somalia alone, about 7.8 million people, or half the population, are facing a level of crisis.
Nearly a million have fled their homes in desperate search of food and water.