advertisements

Famine victims still suffer in Mogadishu

Monday, January 16, 2012

advertisements
Hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees who fled the drought and famine continue to languish in camps in the capital city of Mogadishu, Press TV reports.

According to the official statistics, more than 13 million people in the African country have been affected by the famine that is believed to be the most severe food security emergency in the world today.

Many of the IDPs (internally displaced person) are still stranded in the capital city with no means to return to their native lands.

Mogadishu has seen the emergence of many camps springing up in and around the bullet riddled capital to house the thousands of IDPs who travelled all the way from the South and Central regions of the country.

A classical example is Badbado camp set up by Somalia's Transitional Federal Government and hosts nearly 30,000 people.

The camp has witnessed armed groups compete to guard or steal food with several occasions leading to the death of innocent IDPs who were queuing to receive a portion of the relief aid.

Hundreds of children have died in the camp following an outbreak of acute water diarrhea and cholera.

The local Banadir referral hospital also recorded the highest number of deaths of children below the age of five since the month of July after the UN described regions of Somalia as famine zones.

Drought and famine have affected millions of people across Africa.

Somalia has been the hardest-hit country in what is being described as the worst drought in the Horn of Africa in 60 years.

The UN has declared famine in five regions of Somalia and says that the international humanitarian response to the crisis has been insufficient.

Reports say that aid agencies can take food supplies to only a limited number of people affected by the disaster since insecurity hinders efforts in much of the country's south.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on September 28, 2011 that the humanitarian situation remains "highly critical" in Somalia.

More News