Desperate and Displaced: The Human Impact of Somalia's Worst Drought in Decades…

Somalia is facing a severe humanitarian crisis caused by drought and hunger, leading to the displacement of over a million people. According to UNICEF, one child per minute is being admitted to hospitals with acute malnutrition. The crisis is expected to worsen with estimates suggesting over half a million children may suffer from severe malnutrition by April due to factors including drought, rising food prices, conflict, and disease outbreaks. Organizations like Save the Children are calling for international funding to prevent a repeat of the 2011 famine, in which 250,000 people, half of them children, died. The UN has warned that certain parts of Somalia could potentially be declared in full famine by April. The ongoing conflict and presence of extremist group al-Shabab are contributing to the crisis. Somalia is ranked as the second most vulnerable country to the impacts of climate change by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN). About 7.8 million Somalis, nearly half of the population, have been affected by the drought and around 1.3 million people have been forced to leave their homes.

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