The world is “going to sleep” against a new famine catastrophe that “we promised would never happen again” in Somalia, Save the Children warns.
Aid organizations in the country are alerting to an acute shortage of financial support to help the 7.1 million Somalis fighting hunger – over half of the country’s population. More than 200,000 Somalis live on the brink of starvation, according to the latest figures from the UN.
The organizations have asked for $ 1.46 billion, equivalent to about $ 14.8 billion, in support, but donations so far cover only a third of that amount.
“Hunger threatens Somalia and clinics to help malnourished children get on their knees. Children are dying and we are involved in a fight against the clock to stop it “, says Save the Children’s Somalia boss Mohamud Mohamed Hassan in a statement.
East Africa has been hit by the worst drought in 40 years. Some aid organizations warn that the famine could be worse than in 2010 when 260,000 people – half of them young children – died.