Etienne Peterschmitt, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Somalia, speaking from Jallam, stated that the food insecurity in Somalia was reaching catastrophic levels, resembling the famine conditions of 2011. As already mentioned by the FAO representative, approximately 6.7 million people across the country were likely to experienced acute food insecurity by the end of this year – that was 41 percent of Somalia’s population. The repeated warnings were clear that we had to act now, or the famine would occur shortly. The drought situation was spreading at an alarming rate, more districts and regions were facing emergency levels of food insecurity as the cumulative effects of multiple failed rainy seasons took their toll. An estimated 55 percent of all Somali children under five were facing acute malnutrition. FAO and partners were trying to bring assistance as close as possible to affected communities in order to prevent famine in the hardest-hit rural areas. Action was necessary now to save lives and livelihoods, stressed Mr Peterschmitt. Greater and immediate support was needed: famine could be prevented if the international community acted now. 

Responding to questions from the media, Etienne Peterschmitt, for FAO, added that people were depending on imported powder milk as their local camels were out of milk. Some three million cattle were estimated to have perished, which was dramatic as livestock was one of the key pillars of the country’s economy. Mr Daloum, for WFP, reminded that half of the deaths in 2011 had happened before the actual declaration of the famine. So the international community had to act now. 

Source: United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Geneva

Related links:

Hunger crisis in Somalia

FAO Emergency and Resilience