UN warns against possible famine in Somalia

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI (AA) - The United Nations on Thursday warned of a possible famine in Somalia after the number of people in need of food aid doubled in 6 months to hit 6 million.

A new report launched at the Food and Agriculture Office (FAO) in the Kenyan capital Nairobi revealed that a severe drought has gripped most parts of Somalia leading more than 6 million people to face daily hunger.

Dick Trenchard, FAO Representative in Somalia warned that thousands will die from lack of food unless something is done urgently to scale up humanitarian assistance and avert famine in the war-torn country facing drought.

"The warning could not be clearer and it could not be more stark. What worries most is the projected speed of deterioration, the scale – in terms of number of people at risk, the geography and the very real risk of a significant worsening," Trenchard said.

The looming famine might occur in the second half of 2017, Trenchard warned.

"Mitigation will reduce the scale of potential crisis. Urgent support in nutrition, health support, food supply and sanitation will reduce the depth of crisis. And vital life-saving support will keep those facing famine and death alive," he added.

The report, which was compiled by FAO, the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), calls on donor nations to step in to avert the looming famine in Somalia.

According to the report, findings from a countrywide seasonal assessment in July last year showed that more than 3.3 million people were facing acute food insecurity across Somalia. The number has doubled to over 6.2 million people today.