Somalia records increase in children suffering from malnourishment — NGO

Humanitarian organisation, Care on Wednesday reported that the number of malnourished children in the East-African nation of Somalia was “higher than ever before’’.

According to the organisation, amid the worst droughts in the Horn of Africa in 40 years, thousands of people in Somalia are on the verge of famine, while many children are suffering from malnourishment.

The UN figures also showed that the problem was not limited to Somalia as more than 15 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia are struggling with food shortages.

The region was also suffering from violent conflicts, floods, the COVID-19 pandemic and a locust plague, adding that Somalia imports more than 90 per cent of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine.

Due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, supply chains have been disrupted, causing a steep rise in food prices in Somalia.

The Care organisation said that more than 3,500 malnourished children have been taken in by hospitals supported by the organisation between January and the end of April, a rise of 60 per cent compared to the same period the year before.

West Africa was also on the verge of the worst food crisis in a decade.

Humanitarian organisations warn that June could see 43 million people in the region suffer from lack of food, an increase of one third from the year before.