UN declares famine in Somalia
20 July, 2011 | Mark Tran (Guardian)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Famine now exists in the Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions
• Aid agency accuses European governments of 'wilful neg
The drought in east Africa has left an estimated 11 million
people at risk, but Somalia has been the worst hit country as it
is already wracked by decades of conflict.
The Bakool and lower Shabelle regions are understood to be
controlled by al-Shabaab, Islamist insurgents affiliated to al-
Qaida. The group last week said it would allow foreign aid
agencies into territories it controlled, reversing a ban imposed
two years ago on the grounds that they were anti-Muslim. The
UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, said it was seeking further
security guarantees from the rebel group that it can deliver
greater amounts of assistance in the area to prevent more
hungry people from becoming refugees.
The Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) said
the crisis represented the most serious food insecurity situation
in the world today, in terms of scale and severity.
"Current humanitarian response is inadequate to meet
emergency needs," it said. "Assuming current levels of
response, evidence suggests that famine across all regions of
the south will occur in the coming one to two months. A
massive multisectoral response is critical to prevent additional
deaths and total livelihood/social collapse and most
immediately, interventions to improve food access and to
address health/nutrition issues are needed."
Andrew Mitchell, the UK's international development
secretary, said: "In Somalia, men, women and children are
dying of starvation. The fact that a famine has been declared
shows just how grave the situation has become.
"It is time for the world to help but sadly the response from
many countries has been derisory and dangerously inadequate.
Britain is playing its part, with help for more than 2 million
people across the Horn of Africa. Now others must do the
same."
A famine is measured by rates of hunger, malnutrition and
deaths, but the key to it is that it must be widespread.
Technically, a famine is a mortality rate of more than two
people per 10,000 per day; acute malnutrition reaching more
than 30%; water consumption becoming less than four litres a
day; and intake of kilocalories of 1,500 a day compared with
the recommended 2,100 a day.
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Somalia due to the
drought and conflict, and refugees are dying of causes related
to malnutrition either during the journey or very shortly after
arrival at aid camps. On Sunday, the UNHCR began
emergency airlift flights in Nairobi to help hundreds of
thousands of Somalis who have taken refuge in neighbouring
countries.
A giant cargo jet chartered by UNHCR landed in Nairobi with
100 tonnes of tents for the Dadaab refugee camp complex near
the Kenya-Somalia border.
The airlift will support efforts to help more than 430,000
Somali refugees in Kenya and Ethiopia, including 164,000 who
have arrived in the two countries since the beginning of the year.
Three thousand continue to arrive daily, fleeing continuing
insecurity, drought and hunger in Somalia.
UN agencies have asked for $1.6bn to pay for essential
programmes in east Africa, but have only received half that
amount.
Oxfam has accused several European governments of "willful
neglect" over the crisis in east Africa.
The NGO said the international response to the drought in
Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya has been surprisingly slow.
"There is no time to waste if we are to avoid massive loss of
life. We must not stand by and watch this tragedy unfold before
our eyes," said Fran Equiza, Oxfam's regional director. "The
world has been slow to recognise the severity of this crisis, but
there is no longer any excuse for inaction."
Oxfam said the UK had led the way in pledging new aid, but
said France had failed to match words with any additional
funding and that neither Italy nor Denmark had provided any
new aid.
"The worst affected areas have endured decades of
marginalisation and economic under-development," said
Equiza. "If more action had been taken earlier we would not
now be at the stage where so many people are facing
starvation."
One in 10 children in parts of Somalia is at risk of starving to
death, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
said last week. The independent aid agency, one of very few
with access to Somalia's worst-hit areas, said that even in the
Bay and Lower Shabelle regions, Somalia's traditional
breadbaskets, nearly 11% of children under five had severe
acute malnutrition.
An appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee, an umbrella
group of UK charities, has raised £20m since it launched its
east Africa appeal.
Courtesy
20 July, 2011 | Mark Tran (Guardian)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Famine now exists in the Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions
• Aid agency accuses European governments of 'wilful neg
- The UN has officially
declared two parts of
Somalia to be in famine
amid the worst drought
in east Africa for 60
years.
- Mark Bowden,
humanitarian
coordinator for
Somalia, said on
Wednesday that famine
conditions now existed
The drought in east Africa has left an estimated 11 million
people at risk, but Somalia has been the worst hit country as it
is already wracked by decades of conflict.
The Bakool and lower Shabelle regions are understood to be
controlled by al-Shabaab, Islamist insurgents affiliated to al-
Qaida. The group last week said it would allow foreign aid
agencies into territories it controlled, reversing a ban imposed
two years ago on the grounds that they were anti-Muslim. The
UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, said it was seeking further
security guarantees from the rebel group that it can deliver
greater amounts of assistance in the area to prevent more
hungry people from becoming refugees.
The Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) said
the crisis represented the most serious food insecurity situation
in the world today, in terms of scale and severity.
"Current humanitarian response is inadequate to meet
emergency needs," it said. "Assuming current levels of
response, evidence suggests that famine across all regions of
the south will occur in the coming one to two months. A
massive multisectoral response is critical to prevent additional
deaths and total livelihood/social collapse and most
immediately, interventions to improve food access and to
address health/nutrition issues are needed."
Andrew Mitchell, the UK's international development
secretary, said: "In Somalia, men, women and children are
dying of starvation. The fact that a famine has been declared
shows just how grave the situation has become.
"It is time for the world to help but sadly the response from
many countries has been derisory and dangerously inadequate.
Britain is playing its part, with help for more than 2 million
people across the Horn of Africa. Now others must do the
same."
A famine is measured by rates of hunger, malnutrition and
deaths, but the key to it is that it must be widespread.
Technically, a famine is a mortality rate of more than two
people per 10,000 per day; acute malnutrition reaching more
than 30%; water consumption becoming less than four litres a
day; and intake of kilocalories of 1,500 a day compared with
the recommended 2,100 a day.
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Somalia due to the
drought and conflict, and refugees are dying of causes related
to malnutrition either during the journey or very shortly after
arrival at aid camps. On Sunday, the UNHCR began
emergency airlift flights in Nairobi to help hundreds of
thousands of Somalis who have taken refuge in neighbouring
countries.
A giant cargo jet chartered by UNHCR landed in Nairobi with
100 tonnes of tents for the Dadaab refugee camp complex near
the Kenya-Somalia border.
The airlift will support efforts to help more than 430,000
Somali refugees in Kenya and Ethiopia, including 164,000 who
have arrived in the two countries since the beginning of the year.
Three thousand continue to arrive daily, fleeing continuing
insecurity, drought and hunger in Somalia.
UN agencies have asked for $1.6bn to pay for essential
programmes in east Africa, but have only received half that
amount.
Oxfam has accused several European governments of "willful
neglect" over the crisis in east Africa.
The NGO said the international response to the drought in
Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya has been surprisingly slow.
"There is no time to waste if we are to avoid massive loss of
life. We must not stand by and watch this tragedy unfold before
our eyes," said Fran Equiza, Oxfam's regional director. "The
world has been slow to recognise the severity of this crisis, but
there is no longer any excuse for inaction."
Oxfam said the UK had led the way in pledging new aid, but
said France had failed to match words with any additional
funding and that neither Italy nor Denmark had provided any
new aid.
"The worst affected areas have endured decades of
marginalisation and economic under-development," said
Equiza. "If more action had been taken earlier we would not
now be at the stage where so many people are facing
starvation."
One in 10 children in parts of Somalia is at risk of starving to
death, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
said last week. The independent aid agency, one of very few
with access to Somalia's worst-hit areas, said that even in the
Bay and Lower Shabelle regions, Somalia's traditional
breadbaskets, nearly 11% of children under five had severe
acute malnutrition.
An appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee, an umbrella
group of UK charities, has raised £20m since it launched its
east Africa appeal.
Courtesy
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