Red Cross: Somalia facing severe famine
Pastor Dale Morgan
Red Cross: Somalia facing severe famine*
* Story Highlights
* ICRC: Somalia facing life-threatening food, water shortages
leaving millions at risk
* Winds are leaving crops as dry as the landscape, preventing harvests
* Continual armed conflicts in central and south Somalia have
aggravated the situation
* High inflation on food and fuel have also exacerbated the situation
(CNN) -- Somalia is facing life-threatening food and water shortages
leaving millions at risk for starvation, the International Committee of
the Red Cross said Wednesday.
A growing percentage of Somalia's population has become dependent on
humanitarian aid.
"The Somali people are going through unbearable hardship," said Pascal
Hundt, head of the ICRC's delegation for Somalia, in a written
statement. "We are witnessing the worst tragedy of the past decade in
Somalia."
Somalia's last severe famine was from 1991-1993, which swept through the
nation devastating crops, killing between 240,000 to 280,000 people and
displacing up to 2 million, according to the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees.
Humanitarian workers view Somalia's food crisis as one of the worst in
the world. With winds ripping though the country, hundreds of thousands
of Somalis are finding their crops as dry as the surrounding landscape,
preventing harvests, killing livestock and leading to a mass risk of
starvation.
The continual armed conflicts in central and south Somalia have
aggravated the situation, hindering people from accessing shelter and
medical attention.
A growing percentage of the population has become dependent on
humanitarian aid. The ICRC, World Food Program and CARE plan to deliver
four months worth of food to 435,000 Somalis within the next few weeks.
International donors are being asked by the ICRC to provide some of the
emergency funds. The aid includes giving blankets, kitchen sets and
other shelter supplies to 150,000 people.
The WFP will be increasing the amount it spends in Somalia to $163
million in food assistance, the group said at a UN conference in Rome
Wednesday.
In addition to drought and armed conflict, high inflation on food and
fuel have also exacerbated the situation. Similar factors have impacted
other developing nations in Africa and other parts of the world.
Ethiopia's food crisis has affected 4.5 million people, said the United
Nations Children's Fund.
As a result of widespread food shortages and little rainfall, an
estimated 126,000 children are in need of medical assistance to combat
severe malnutrition, while the WFP projects $193 million will be needed
for urgent food distributions.