Bi-Weekly Press Briefing Somalia Hunger Crisis 13 September 2022
/
1:53
/
MP4
/
138.2 MB

Edited News | FAO , UNICEF

Bi-Weekly Press Briefing Somalia Hunger Crisis 13 September 2022

STORYLINE

Catastrophic hunger levels leave 500,000 children at risk of dying in Somalia

Catastrophic hunger levels in Somalia have left more than 513,000 children at risk of dying, 173,000 more than during the 2011 famine, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.

In a call for immediate funding to help vulnerable communities hit by successive droughts, high food prices and conflict, the UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stressed that the emergency shows no signs of letting up.

Without action, famine “will occur within the next few weeks”, FAO said.

The UN agency added that drought-related deaths “have been occurring” and the toll could be much higher in hard-to-reach rural areas, compared with the number recorded in camps for displaced families.

During the famine of 2011, 340,000 children required treatment for severe acute malnutrition, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told journalists in Geneva. “Today it’s 513,000,” he added. “So we more than half a million facing preventable death. It’s a number, it’s a pending nightmare we have not seen this century.”

According to FAO, approximately 6.7 million people across Somalia will likely endure high levels of acute food insecurity between October and December this year (IPC Phase 3 or above).

This includes more than 300,000 who have been left “empty-handed” by the country’s triple emergency and who are expected to fall into famine (IPC Phase 5).

In pastoral communities where herders have been desperately searching for pasture, “they are now watching their livestock drop dead like flies”, said Etienne Peterschmitt, FAO Representative in Somalia.

The perilous situation for families in Baidoa and Burhakaba districts and of those forced from their homes by hunger in Baidoa town of Bay region in Southern Somalia is particularly concerning, Mr. Peterschmitt added.

“The repeated warnings have been clear: act now or a famine will occur within the next few weeks,” he insisted. “The drought situation is spreading at an alarming rate; more districts and regions are facing emergency levels of food insecurity as the cumulative effects of multiple failed rainy seasons take their toll.”

In a call for radical change to stop famine happening again, UNICEF’s Mr. Elder described the disturbing scenes already playing out in Somalia’s worst-affected region.

“Children are already dying,” he said. “Our partners report that some stabilization centres are in fact full and critically-ill children are receiving treatment on the floor.”

With greater funding, more severe and acutely malnourished children can be given lifesaving food which will make them strong enough to ward off diseases, just like healthier youngsters. “This is not just about nutrition, severely malnourished children are in fact up to 11 times more likely to die from things like diarrhoea and measles than well-nourished boys and girls,” Mr. Elder said, adding that both diseases “are spiking” in the worst-hit areas.

The UN’s response involves reaching the most vulnerable communities to prevent mass displacement before famine has been declared, to help to promote a faster recovery.

Humanitarian assistance has been increasing and reached an average of 3.1 million people per month between April and June 2022 and 4.5 million people per month between July and September 2022, according to FAO’s Mr. Peterschmitt.

“We know that the deaths, half of the deaths of 2011, happened before the declaration of famine,” said El-Khidir Daloum, WFP Somalia Representative and Country Director. “As we speak right now, we are heading to 15 areas classified as hard-to-reach areas and we are scaling up together with UNICEF the nutrition and the priority areas.”

In June, UNICEF reported that 386,000 children aged six to 59 months needed treatment for severe acute malnutrition. “That’s increased (today) to more than half a million, to 513,000; that’s a 33 per cent increase. Said one more way, it means 127 more thousand more children are at risk of death,” Mr. Elder said.

ends

STORY: Somalia Hunger Crisis

TRT: 1 mins 52s

SOURCE: UNTV CH

RESTRICTIONS: NONE

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS

ASPECT RATIO: 16:9

DATELINE: 13 September 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST

  1. Medium shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
  2. Wide shot, press room with panel of speakers.
  3. SOUNDBITE (English): James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson: “To be clear, there’s 386,000 - 386,000 children - six to 59 months, that’s increased to more than half a million, to 513,000, that’s a 33 per cent increase. Said one more way, it means 127 thousand more children are at risk of death.”
  4. Close up shot, screen showing speaker.
  5. SOUNDBITE (English): James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson:“Children are already dying, our partners report that some stabilization centres are in fact full and critically-ill children are receiving treatment on the floor.”
  6. Medium shot, press room with journalists.
  7. SOUNDBITE (English): James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson:“The famine of 2011 the number was 340,000 children required treatment, today it’s 513(000). So we have more than half a million facing preventable death. It’s a number, it’s a pending nightmare we have not seen this century.”
  8. Medium shot, journalists taking notes.
  9. SOUNDBITE (English): James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson:“This is not just about nutrition, severely malnourished children are in fact up to 11 times more likely to die from things like diarrhoea and measles than well-nourished boys and girls.”
  10. Medium shot, journalists taking notes.
  11. SOUNDBITE (English): El-Khidir Daloum, WFP Somalia Representative and Country Director (via Zoom from Mogadishu, Somalia):“We know that the deaths, half of the deaths of 2011, happened before the declaration of famine, so we know that.”
  12. Medium shot, journalists taking notes, screen showing speaker.
  13. SOUNDBITE (English): El-Khidir Daloum, WFP Somalia Representative and Country Director (via Zoom from Mogadishu, Somalia):“As we speak right now, we are heading to 15 areas classified as hard-to-reach areas and we are scaling up together with UNICEF the nutrition and the priority areas.”
  14. Medium shot, journalists taking notes.

Similar Stories

Gaza - Israel war 7 October 2025 - OCHA - UNICEF - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , WHO

Gaza - Israel war 7 October 2025 - OCHA - UNICEF - WHO ENG FRA

Two years of Gaza-Israel war bring ‘indescribable’ pain: UN humanitarians

Two years since the Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel, UN humanitarians on Tuesday reiterated calls for the release of all hostages in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire and an aid surge to alleviate Palestinians’ suffering, as talks on a US-driven peace plan continued in Egypt.

Justice for Syria's disappeared - Riyad Avlar – 06 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News

Justice for Syria's disappeared - Riyad Avlar – 06 October 2025 ENG FRA

Syria prison survivor seeks justice for the missing with UN backing.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at Human Rights Council on Ukraine: “This war needs to end”

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at Human Rights Council on Ukraine: “This war needs to end” ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned that three and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has entered an even more dangerous and deadly stage for Ukrainian civilians, under relentless bombardment of their schools, hospitals, and shelters.

30 minutes in a Gaza hospital - UNICEF - WHO - ICRC

1

1

1

Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , ICRC

30 minutes in a Gaza hospital - UNICEF - WHO - ICRC ENG FRA

Quadcopter victims, terror and death: 30 minutes in a Gaza hospital 

UN aid teams on Friday highlighted the disturbing situation in Gaza’s makeshift hospitals, where premature babies cry for scant oxygen and medics attempt to save child survivors targeted by airstrikes in their tents and quadcopter victims reportedly shot while fetching bread.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s Oral update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Haiti

2

1

2

Edited News | OHCHR

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s Oral update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Haiti ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Thursday delivered his oral update to the UN Human Rights Council’s 60th session on the human rights situation in Haiti.

The High Commissioner welcomed Wednesday’s decision of the UN Security Council to strengthen the Multinational Security Support mission by transitioning to the Gang Suppression Force for Haiti, stating it is a strong signal of international support for the Haitian people.

Gaza aid update - UNICEF, OCHA 30 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF

Gaza aid update - UNICEF, OCHA 30 September 2025 ENG FRA

Gaza: As world waits for US peace plan news, UN aid teams stress need for ceasefire

UN agencies reiterated calls for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday to help alleviate Palestinian suffering, as a new US 20-point plan raised hopes of a halt to the fighting.

Gaza healthcare attacks – WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Gaza healthcare attacks – WHO ENG FRA

The ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza City continues to overwhelm the war-torn enclave’s medical professionals, with four more hospitals forced to shut down this month alone, the UN World Health Organization said on Friday.

UN Report: Civilian detainees subjected to troubling patterns of torture and ill treatment since Russia’s full scale attack on Ukraine

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN Report: Civilian detainees subjected to troubling patterns of torture and ill treatment since Russia’s full scale attack on Ukraine ENG FRA

A UN Human Rights report released today details the dire situation of thousands of civilians detained since Russia’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine in 2022. 

Sudan cholera update WHO - UNICEF

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO , UNICEF

Sudan cholera update WHO - UNICEF ENG FRA

Sudan war: Life-saving cholera vaccination campaign begins in Darfur

Amid the devastating war in Sudan, UN aid teams are overcoming major obstacles to curb a cholera outbreak claiming lives across the country, with young children particularly at risk.

Afghanistan earthquake response – UN Women 19 September 2025

2

1

2

Edited News , B-roll | UN WOMEN

Afghanistan earthquake response – UN Women 19 September 2025 ENG FRA

Women and girls still reeling from Afghanistan's recent deadly earthquake face even greater suffering rebuilding their lives and livelihoods without much more help from the international community, UN Women said on Friday.

UN report: Sudan crisis deepens amid rising civilian casualties - UN Human rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and OHCHR Sudan Representative Li Fung

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN report: Sudan crisis deepens amid rising civilian casualties - UN Human rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and OHCHR Sudan Representative Li Fung ENG FRA

Rising civilian casualties, growing ethnic violence and the grim humanitarian situation in Sudan underscore how the crisis there is deepening, according to a UN Human rights report published today.

'Not a Target' UN Geneva Protest - 18 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UNITED NATIONS

'Not a Target' UN Geneva Protest - 18 September 2025 ENG FRA

United Nations agencies staff demonstrates on Place des Nations in Geneva to denounce the killing of their colleagues in Gaza.