The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
As Somalia is suffering from one of its worst droughts in recent times, UNICEF warned today that 1.4 million children – nearly half of the country’s under five population - are likely to suffer from acute malnutrition out of which 330,000 children will require treatment for severe acute malnutrition. Funding is immediately needed to procure nutrition supplies and avert deaths, said UNICEF's Communication Chief in Somalia when speaking at a news briefing at the United Nations in Geneva.
“The time to act is NOW. And when the international community waits until the famine is declared, as we learned from 2011, that's probably a bit too late”, said Victor Chinyama, UNICEF’s Communication Chief in Somalia. He added that “a lot of the mortality happens before the famine is declared. And, of course, we know that when you begin to see malnutrition go up and then that is compounded by an outbreak such as measles or cholera, mortality very, very quickly escalates.”
UNICEF is appealing for US$48 million and urgently needs US$7 million by the end of March 2022 to procure 104,000 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutics Foods for the treatment of children with severe acute malnutrition.
The Horn of Africa (Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia) is currently experiencing its worst droughts in recent history after three consecutive seasons of failed rains and with potentially facing a fourth one between March-May 2022.
According to UNICEF’s Victor Chinyama “Somalia is the most affected with about 90% of the country undergoing a severe drought. And data that was released last week shows that about 4.1 million people in Somalia will need urgent humanitarian support and that is a quarter of the entire population of 16 million.”
He added that “1.4 million children are likely to suffer from acute malnutrition and of those about 330,000 require treatment for severe acute malnutrition.”
A critical shortage of water has left 2.6 million people in need of urgent water supply with water prices have gone up by 72 %. A lack of water heightens disease outbreaks, such as measles and cholera.
“We know that the lack of water also gives rise to other risks, particularly of diseases outbreaks. And we have a measles outbreak in Baidoa. But also, measles has been reported among Somali refugees that are living in Ethiopia. So, this year, for example, we're looking at 7,500 reported cases of measles”, said UNICEF’s Communication chief.
The risk of a severely wasted child dying from measles is 11 times higher than for a well-nourished child. So spikes in diseases such as cholera and measles are clear danger signs for children.
In order to survive, families are taking desperate measures. Since November, about 500,000 people have been displaced in search of food, water and pasture, adding to the 2,9 million already internally displaced.
“We know that when people flee their homes from the 2011 and 2017 drought, they're the most vulnerable. Certainly, the highest numbers of deaths were recorded among people that had been displaced and had moved to other areas in search of humanitarian assistance”, reported Victor Chinyama.
As drought exacerbates protection risks for children, UNICEF is worried about sexual exploitation and abuse as well as child marriage. In 2021, 1,200 children (including 45 girls) were recruited and used by armed groups, 1,000 children were abducted.
“That one issue that worries us in terms of the risks that children are exposed to such as sexual violence, exploitation, gender-based violence. And in the context of Somalia, we cannot talk about displacement risks without addressing the specter of children being abducted and recruited by armed groups, for example, such as Al-Shabaab.”
-end-
- Exterior wide shot, United Nations Palace of Nations, Geneva. UN flag alley with flags flying.
- Wide shot, press room UN Geneva.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Victor Chinyama, UNICEF’s Chief of Communication in Somalia: “The time to act is NOW. And when the international community waits until the famine is declared, as we learned from 2011, that's probably a bit too late. A lot of the mortality happens before the famine is declared. And, of course, we know that when you begin to see malnutrition go up and then that is compounded by an outbreak such as measles or cholera, mortality very, very quickly escalates.”
- Medium shot, masked participants listening.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Victor Chinyama, UNICEF’s Chief of Communication in Somalia: “Somalia is the most affected with about 90% of the country undergoing a severe drought. And data that was released last week shows that about 4.1 million people in Somalia will need urgent humanitarian support and that is a quarter of the entire population of 16 million.”
- Close-up shot, fingers typing at the keyboard of laptop
- SOUNDBITE (English): Victor Chinyama, UNICEF’s Chief of Communication in Somalia: “4 million children are likely to suffer from acute malnutrition and of those about 330,000 require treatment for severe acute malnutrition.”
- Medium shot, masked participants listening
- SOUNDBITE (English): Victor Chinyama, UNICEF’s Chief of Communication in Somalia: “We know that the lack of water also gives rise to other risks, particularly of diseases outbreaks. And we have a measles outbreak in Baidoa. But also, measles has been reported among Somali refugees that are living in Ethiopia. So, this year, for example, we're looking at 7,500 reported cases of measles.”
- Medium shot, participants sitting in front of the desk, with camera on the rear.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Victor Chinyama, UNICEF’s Chief of Communication in Somalia: “We know that when people flee their homes from the 2011 and 2017 drought, they're the most vulnerable. Certainly, the highest numbers of deaths were recorded among people that had been displaced and had moved to other areas in search of humanitarian assistance.”
- Medium shot, masked participants listening carefully with TV screen on the rear.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Victor Chinyama, UNICEF’s Chief of Communication in Somalia: “That one issue that worries us in terms of the risks that children are exposed to such as sexual violence, exploitation, gender-based violence. And in the context of Somalia, we cannot talk about displacement risks without addressing the specter of children being abducted and recruited by armed groups, for example, such as Al-Shabaab.”
- Medium shot, camera on the front with TV screen showing the podium speakers on the rear
- Close-up shot, participant taking notes on the notebook.
- Close-up shot, participant pointing at the laptop screen displaying the press briefing.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Gaza: Hospitals continue to overflow with people injured while seeking food - WHO
As besieged Palestinian civilians face widespread malnutrition and starvation, hospitals in the Strip are increasingly overwhelmed by the influx of victims of shootings and other injuries at food distribution areas, warns the World Health Organization.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , WHO , UNMAS
Urgent help is needed to halt a deadly cholera outbreak that is sweeping across Sudan, UN agencies said on Friday, while warning that communities continue to be terrorized by parties to the conflict even as they flee violence.
2
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News , Images | UNEP
Negotiations got under way at UN Geneva on Tuesday to agree on a legally binding treaty to curb plastic pollution, with delegates from nearly 180 countries attending.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF
Gaza: Hundreds of trucks per day of free aid needed “for months”, in addition to commercial supplies - OCHA
Despite the tactical pauses Israel introduced last week to allow some safe passage for humanitarian convoys, the amount of aid that has entered Gaza remains by far insufficient for the starving population, and UN trucks continue to face impediments on their way to delivering aid.
1
1
1
Edited News | UN WOMEN
Aid agencies echoed wider warnings of growing signs of widespread starvation in Gaza on Tuesday, as UN-partnered international food security experts released their most dire assessment yet of the situation in the wartorn enclave.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , UNDP , UNHCR
Sudan: urgent help needed as more than 1.3 million war-displaced people begin to return home
As conflict rages on across parts of Sudan, pockets of relative safety have emerged in the past four month, spurring more than one million internally displaced Sudanese to make their way home, says the International Organization for Migration (IOM). A further 320,000 cross-border refugees have come back to Sudan since last year, mainly from Egypt and South Sudan, to assess the current situation before deciding to return to their country for good.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , WHO
Gaza: SOS messages describe people fainting from hunger; UN health worker detained
Worrying alerts from United Nations staff in Gaza who have been fainting from hunger and exhaustion over the past 48 hours have increased fears for people’s survival in the devastated enclave, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , UNOG
Over 11.6 million refugees risk losing aid access due to funding cuts, says UNHCR
Approximately one in three refugees and other vulnerable individuals normally supported by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) are expected to lose out from funding cuts, it said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, made the following announcement on the Office’s opening of a new mission in Bangladesh.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
“The surge in the number of Afghans forced or compelled to return to Afghanistan this year is creating a multi-layered human rights crisis requiring the urgent attention of the international community,” UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday called for accountability and justice for the killings and other gross human rights violations and abuses in the southern city of Suweida.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNHCR
Syria: hundreds killed in Sweida, ‘widespread’ violations as civilians flee for their lives
Amid violent clashes in southern Syria’s Sweida governorate, a picture of grave human rights abuses and rising humanitarian needs is emerging by the hour, the UN said on Friday.