As the crisis in the Horn of Africa deepens, the United Nations has warned that all of southern Somalia could slip into famine in the next two months. Just today, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs declared that three new areas in Somalia have deteriorated into a famine situation.
VIDEO: UNICEF correspondent Priyanka Pruthi reports on the deepening crisis in the Horn of Africa as more regions in Somalia are gripped by famine.
The announcement comes on the heels of a similar declaration covering two other regions in that country two weeks ago.
Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost already in Somalia and neighbouring countries, and many more are at stake. Yet the international community remains slow in its humanitarian response to this worsening crisis. Unless there is a massive increase in aid, food-security experts predict, the famine will spread rapidly.
Children struggle to survive
In all, more than 11 million people desperately need help in the nations of eastern Africa stricken by drought, conflict and rising food prices. If the world doesn’t act quickly enough, some 566,000 children fighting severe malnutrition could lose their struggle to survive.
Among the most urgent needs in the crisis response are therapeutic food for malnourished children, safe water for tankering in drought-stricken areas, bed nets to prevent malaria, and family kits for people on the move – like the thousands of refugees who are crossing into Kenya from Somalia. Safe havens and learning spaces for children are priorities, as well.
“We have a huge need right now for airlift operations to get in the ready-to-use therapeutic food,” says UNICEF’s Director of Public Sector Alliances and Resource Mobilization, Afshan Khan. “So if there are in-kind donations in terms of airlift and air operations, that will be extremely helpful.”
Funding gap
Despite repeated warnings from many UN agencies that the situation in the Horn of Africa was critical, the response from donors – both public and private – has been limited. To date, UNICEF faces a funding gap of more than $200 million for its emergency operations in the region, including over $120 million for Somalia alone.
All eyes are now on the international community to take more concerted action on behalf of children at risk in the Horn of Africa.