The natural disaster at the root of the famine striking Somalia, which has been worsened by interference by al Shabab militants and a failure to deliver aid, will only see a break when the October 2012 harvest yields its crops. In the meantime, the United Nations has declared a sixth area of southern Somalia as experiencing famine conditions. Despite this dire news, the crisis in Somalia has not plateaued, its peak may lead to more famine zones and an estimated 750,000 dead this year.
“…Mark Bowden, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Somalia. “Southern Somalia is the epicenter of the famine area in the Horn of Africa. It’s the source of most of the refugees, and we need to refocus our efforts.”
Relief efforts continue but are enervated by the heinous treatment of Somalis by al Shabab, the packed conditions and spread of diseases in sprawling refugee camps and in the combination of an underfunded humanitarian response coupled with a sometimes ineffective delivery of aid.
Despite the problems with relief aid, it is often the only lifeline that people in the Horn of Africa have during this crisis. If you are interested in learning more about some of the relief efforts or would like to donate, the GFS blog provided suggestions in earlier posts.
Photo credit: The Frame/Sacramento Bee
