Thousands dead in Somali disease outbreaks

Tuesday August 15, 2017
By SAAD MUSE

MOGADISHU, (CAJ News) – MORE than 200 people have died after raging outbreaks of cholera and measles in drought-stricken Somalia.

At least 1 155 deaths from cholera have been recorded from 75 930 outbreaks since the beginning of the year.Some 14 379 suspected measles cases have also been reported including 101 associated deaths during the period.

In a country with a population of 14 million, an estimated 4,5 million people remain in urgent need of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) assistance.

newsinsdeThe humanitarian situation in the East African country continues to deteriorate due to the drought crisis.

According to the most recent forecasts, an estimated 2,5 to 3 million people will remain in need of humanitarian assistance between now and December.

The drought is also uprooting people, with 766 000 people displaced since November 2016.

The projected number of children who are, or will be, acutely malnourished has increased by 50 per cent since the beginning of the year to 1,4 million, including over 275 000 who have or will suffer life-threatening severe acute malnutrition in 2017.

Somalia is also under siege from the al-Shabaab terror group and decades-long civil war.

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