The Province
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The UN officially declared famine in two southern Somalia regions Wednesday as the world slowly mobilized to save 12 million people battling hunger in the region's worst drought in 60 years.
The United States urged al-Qaidainspired Shebab rebels controlling the area to allow the return of relief groups expelled two years ago, while aid groups warned many would die without urgent action and funding.
United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Somalia Mark Bowden declared southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions famine-struck.
In total, the UN said an estimated 3.7 million people - or nearly half of the country's population - were facing a food crisis.
"If we don't act now, famine will spread to all eight regions of southern Somalia within two months, due to poor harvests and infectious disease outbreaks," Bowden said.
"If we are not able to intervene immediately, tens of thousands more Somalis may die."
Somalia, which has been affected by almost uninterrupted conflict for 20 years and become a by-word for "failed state," is the worst affected nation but parts of Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Djibouti are also hit.
A UN definition of famine says that at least 20 per cent of households face extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition in over 30 per cent of people, and two deaths per 10,000 people every day.
The Shebab expelled foreign aid groups two years ago, accusing them of being Western spies and Christian crusaders.
However, the UN last week airlifted in the first supplies since the group said it would lift restrictions on aid.
"Every day of delay in assistance is literally a matter of life or death for children and their families in the famine affected areas," Bowden said.
UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon urged donor countries to immediately come up with $1.6 billion in aid to combat the crisis.
"Children and adults are dying at an appalling rate. Every day of delay may cause more lives lost," he said.
Over 78,000 Somalis have fled to seek refuge in neighbouring Ethiopia and Kenya in the past two months.
In Kenya, they are streaming into overcrowded camps hosting some 380,000 people - more than four times the original capacity.
A top Shebab official welcomed the UN's famine declaration, saying the group would allow aid through.
"We would like to see aid coming to the people," the official said.
"Aid must be provided purely on a humanitarian basis, and the religious value of Somalis as Muslims must be respected."
Next week UN agencies will discuss the humanitarian crisis in Rome.
- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday used a visit to India to highlight the damage done to women and children's health by poor quality stoves.
The State Department estimates that nearly two million people die each year from respiratory illnesses and poisoning caused by inefficient or polluting stoves.
Clinton is behind a plan to provide 100 million homes with clean stoves by 2020.