The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Headline: 129,000 people in South Sudan and Somalia are “staring death in the eyes”, according to the World Health Organization
Millions in the greater Horn of Africa are facing acute hunger as the region struggles with one of the worst droughts in recent decades with 129, 000 people - out of which 96,000 in Somalia and 33,000 in South Sudan - confronting starvation, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda are particularly affected by the dire food insecurity and health crisis. 48 million people are facing crisis levels of food insecurity, meaning families are skipping meals and are likely to have depleted their savings.
“We are seeing a serious surge in disease outbreaks and the highest number of malnourished children in years, and all this against the backdrop of a deteriorating outlook in terms of food insecurity,” said Liesbeth Aelbrecht, WHO Incident Manager, speaking on Zoom from Nairobi to journalists at the United Nations in Geneva.
As families face severe food insecurity, many have left their homes in search of food and water, and pasture for animals. According to WHO, large-scale displacement is often accompanied by a deterioration in hygiene and sanitation and the outbreaks of infectious diseases.
All seven countries are battling measles outbreaks while there are cholera outbreaks in four countries. Malaria has been particularly serious in Sudan were more than 330,000 cases and 262 deaths were reported in the first 6 weeks this year. Somalia and Sudan reported dengue outbreaks.
WHO is concerned about outbreaks of infectious diseases, especially when combined with low existing vaccination coverage and health service availability.
“Almost 12 million children under the age of 5 are projected to be malnourished in this region,” so Ms. Aelbrecht. She added that “this is a region that hosts a large number of refugees, it has accumulated millions of IDPs over the years. But on top of that, today we see more than 2 million drought induced displaced. So, these are really people who have fled their homes looking for water, for humanitarian assistance”.
Most parts of the region are battling the worst drought in at least 40 years while other parts have been affected by flooding, leading to widespread hunger.
With projections of another below average rainy season in March till May, the crisis is foreseen to continue.
64 per cent of suspected meningitis cases in Ethiopia were reported from the drought affected regions.
“The frequency of these disease outbreaks can be directly linked to these extreme weather events and to climate change,” said Ms. Aelbrecht. “I personally want to witness, I have been working on and off to this region for almost 25 years now, and in terms of accumulated emergencies, this is as bad as I have ever seen it”.
According to WHO, nutritional deficiencies make people increasingly vulnerable to disease. This is particularly true for children, for whom the combination of malnutrition and disease can prove fatal.
“Malnutrition in combination with disease are often a deadly cocktail. You know, for example, a malnourished child that gets measles is much more likely to die,” said WHO’s Incident Manager.
WHO is asking for USD 178 million for 2023 to carry out live-saving work.
-ends-
STORY: Health Crisis Horn of Africa - WHO
TRT: 1 min 53s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 10 March 2023 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Wide shot, UN Geneva flag alley.
- Wide shot, press room with speaker
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Liesbeth Aelbrecht, WHO Incident Manager: “We are seeing a serious surge in disease outbreaks and the highest number of malnourished children in years, and all this against the backdrop of a deteriorating outlook in terms of food insecurity.”
- Medium shot, journalists in front of screen with speakers
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Liesbeth Aelbrecht, WHO Incident Manager: “Almost 12 million children under the age of 5 are projected to be malnourished in this region. This is a region that hosts a large number of refugees, it has accumulated millions of IDPs over the years. But on top of that, today we see more than 2 million drought induced displaced. So, these are really people who have fled their homes looking for water, for humanitarian assistance.”
- Medium shot, journalists
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Liesbeth Aelbrecht, WHO Incident Manager: “The frequency of these disease outbreaks can be directly linked to these extreme weather events and to climate change. I personally want to witness, I have been working on and off to this region for almost 25 years now, and in terms of accumulated emergencies, this is as bad as I have ever seen it.”
- Close up, hands typing on laptop
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) - Liesbeth Aelbrecht, WHO Incident Manager: “Malnutrition in combination with disease are often a deadly cocktail. You know, for example, a malnourished child that gets measles is much more likely to die.”
- Wide shot, press briefing room
- Medium shot, journalists
- Wide shot, journalists
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , WFP
Aid agencies warned on Friday of the fast-developing humanitarian emergency inside Taiz City in Yemen, which has been encircled by de facto Houthi forces fighting government troops along the country’s west coast.
2
17
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences , Images | OCHA , WMO
Two UN agencies teamed up on Wednesday to issue an appeal for immediate assistance to help communities already being impacted by the strongest El Niño on record.
3
16
2
2
Edited News , B-roll , Conferences , Images | UNITED NATIONS , UNOG
Sixth Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts for Sudan
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , UNHCR
Yemen war continues to force families from homes amid hunger and disease
More than 250,000 people have now fled renewed fighting in Yemen, the UN said on Tuesday, citing particular concern for those sheltering in the southwestern city of Taiz and the wider governorate, where access is “essentially blocked”.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
A little over one year since a ceasefire agreement was announced between Hamas fighters and Israel, more than 340 children have been reported killed and hundreds more injured, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , IFRC
Six weeks after Nepal’s deadly flooding disaster, communities are still struggling to rebuild their lives, but they will need sustained help as global warming increases the risk of another Himalayan catastrophe, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
In suspected Russia plague death, testing and monitoring underway – WHO
The death of a lab worker in Russia’s Siberia region has sparked concerns about plague being the cause, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, adding that it was following the situation closely.
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday provided and oral update to the 63rd session of the Human rights Council on Ukraine.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday provided and oral update to the 63rd session of the Human rights Council on the human rights situation in Haiti.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Repeated delays in bringing lifesaving medicines, prosthetics and more from Israel into Gaza risk having devastating consequences on Palestinians who urgently need them in the wartorn enclave, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. “A truck full of non-priority supplies or the right supplies arriving too late, doesn't save lives. That's the question that actually matters," said Dr Reinhilde Van De Weerdt, WHO Representative in the OPT.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC: Early access to care and oxygen decisive for Ebola patients’ survival – WHO
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), health workers fighting the country’s largest-ever Ebola outbreak are struggling to overcome critical challenges to patient care, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UN
Civilians in Iran are continuing to feel the consequences of months of conflict and military escalation, the UN’s top official in the country has said, as loss of life, damage to civilian infrastructure and mounting economic pressures leave many facing continued uncertainty.