Photo : Thomas Mukoya, Reuters
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Thomas Mukoya, Reuters
IN BRIEF
by Anu Maria Joseph
Somalia: Nearly 43,000 died in the drought, says a joint report
On 21 March, a joint report by the Somali government and the United Nations said that at least 43,000 people were killed in the country amid the devastating drought, among which half are below the age five. The reports mentioned that the crisis is "far from over," and that 18,000-34,000 more deaths are expected in the first quarter of this year. World Health Organization (WHO) representative Dr Mamunur Rahman Malik said: "We are racing against time to prevent deaths and save lives that are available." The UN says it needs nearly USD 2.6 billion this year for the Somalia drought response. Five consecutive failed rainy seasons have caused the disaster. (“Somalia drought may have killed 43,000 last year - UN,” BBC, 21 March 2023)