Fleeing drought, hunger, thousands trek to Somalia’s capital
Associated PressMOGADISHU, Somalia — Sitting under the hot sun, hungry women and children await food aid in a camp on the outskirts of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. Somalia’s government in November declared a state of humanitarian emergency due to the drought, with the worst affected parts including the south-central areas of Lower Jubba, Geddo and Lower Shabelle regions. “The impact on families is being felt more severely this season due to the result of multiple, prolonged droughts in quick succession, a worsening security situation, desert locust infestations, soaring food prices, reduced remittances — and less money committed by donors,” the aid group Save the Children said earlier this week of the drought in Somalia. A survey in November covering 15 of Somalia’s 18 regions found the “majority of families were now going without meals on a regular basis,” it said in a statement. “There are not humanitarian agencies operating on the ground and these people urgently need support and assistance such as shelter, food, water and good sanitation,” said Abdullahi Osman, head of the charitable Hormuud Salaam Foundation and a member of the prime minister’s drought task force.