Failed rains, prolong drought pushes Somali communities to the brink
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The family of Mariam Klaire (in blue), her mother (in yellow), and two of Mariam's children. They have been living in a camp for the internally displaced in Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland, for the past three months. Like Mariam, many of the residents in the camp are newly displaced by drought. "I came here from a village that is very far. I am displaced because of the drought. I came with two of my children to look for some assistance; the rest remained behind with their father, some relatives and their grandmother in the village," said the mother of six. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |
"I am 80 years old," said Mohamed. "In the 80 years of my life this is the first time that I have seen a drought this bad. It has killed so many animals and caused so much hunger. Our lives are in danger."
Another ugly effect of the drought is the rising malnutrition cases among children. Nearly 100,000 children under five years old are acutely malnourished in Somaliland and Puntland. Malnutrition-related deaths have been reported in areas such as Awdal region bordering Ethiopia, where we met Hawa and other women and children.
Registration Number: 130349
