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Many die as famine spreads in Somalia
Source: Agencies |
September 6, 2011, Tuesday
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FAMINE has spread to six out of eight regions in southern Somalia, with 750,000 people facing imminent starvation, the United Nations said yesterday, and hundreds of people are dying each day despite a ramping up of aid relief.
"The entire Bay region has now been declared a famine area," said Mark Bowden, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Somalia.
Bay is the sixth region of Somalia to slip into famine since the UN's initial declaration of famine in the war-torn country in July that has left 4 million Somalis, or 53 percent of the population, unable to meet their food needs.
Hundreds of people are dying each day and at least half of them are children, the UN's Grainne Moloney said, adding she expected the remaining regions of southern Somalia to slip into famine by the end of the year.
"The rate of malnutrition (among children) in Bay region is 58 percent. This is a record rate of acute malnutrition," said Moloney, the chief technical advisor for the UN Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit.
Aid agencies are only able to get food aid to 1 million of those in need because the al-Qaida-affiliated rebel group, al-Shabaab, which controls much of the south, will not allow food shipments in.
Instead, agencies are using food and cash vouchers which families can trade for commodities in local markets.
"The entire Bay region has now been declared a famine area," said Mark Bowden, the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Somalia.
Bay is the sixth region of Somalia to slip into famine since the UN's initial declaration of famine in the war-torn country in July that has left 4 million Somalis, or 53 percent of the population, unable to meet their food needs.
Hundreds of people are dying each day and at least half of them are children, the UN's Grainne Moloney said, adding she expected the remaining regions of southern Somalia to slip into famine by the end of the year.
"The rate of malnutrition (among children) in Bay region is 58 percent. This is a record rate of acute malnutrition," said Moloney, the chief technical advisor for the UN Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit.
Aid agencies are only able to get food aid to 1 million of those in need because the al-Qaida-affiliated rebel group, al-Shabaab, which controls much of the south, will not allow food shipments in.
Instead, agencies are using food and cash vouchers which families can trade for commodities in local markets.
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