UN warns Somalia drought worse: 750,000 could die as 12million people need food aid - originally posted 5.9.2011

As many as 750,000 people could die as Somalia's drought worsens in the coming months, the UN has warned, declaring a famine in a new area.

The UN says tens of thousands of people have died after what is said to be East Africa's worst drought for 60 years.

Bay becomes the sixth area to be officially declared a famine zone - mostly in parts of southern Somalia controlled by the Islamist al-Shabab.

Some 12 million people across the region need food aid, the UN says.

The situation in the Bay region was worse than anything previously recorded, said senior UN's technical adviser Grainne Moloney.

"The rate of malnutrition [among children] in Bay region is 58%. This is a record rate of acute malnutrition," she told journalists in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

This is almost double the rate at which a famine is declared.

"In total, 4 million people are in crisis in Somalia, with 750,000 people at risk of death in the coming four months in the absence of adequate response," the UN's Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) says.

Half of those who have already died are children, it says.

Neighbouring Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda have also been affected by the severe lack of rain.

For full story see BBC News.

See also BBC News - East Africa Hunger Crisis.  

Originally posted 5.9.2011
 

The crisis continues but thank God for rain! - originally posted 1.11.2011

As rains begin to fall in southern and central Somalia, the long drought is at an end and aid agencies there are re-appraising the famine situation.

According to Andrew Harding, BBC Africa correspondent, the rain brings new risks, not least the fear of communicable diseases such as measles and cholera, which could so easily become rife in the crowded camps around Mogadishu.
So far the roads are surviving the rain and much needed food aid is continuing to be delivered to the hundreds of thousands who left their homes. 
For those who remained in rural areas the rain means it is time to plant. To do so requires both seed to plant and food aid to enable people to work.
The agency partners of the Disasters Emergency Committee & the World Food Programme are able to access and assist all but a few of the areas worst affected by the famine.
Due to the control of Somali Islamist militia, al-Shabaab, some areas remain inaccessible to all but ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross), which has already 'helped more than a million people and distributed 17,000 metric tons of food and seeds'. 
For the full story see Andrew Harding's article, courtesy of BBC.

For more stories about the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal and the varied work of DEC partner agencies in the Horn of Africa, visit East Africa Crisis Appeal Updates.

The crisis is far from over! 

Please continue to DONATE!

Originally posted 1.11.2011 

Cholera & Abductions as the Crisis Continues - originally posted 16.11.2011

As the situation continues to deteriorate in the Horn of Africa, on 5 September we asked followers of 103DEC to suggest ways that 103DEC & 103 The Eye FM might do more to assist the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) & their East Africa Crisis Appeal.

As we stated then, the number of days & the effectiveness of special radio broadcasts are limited, so we require other, different, ideas on which to base future promotional activity. 

The good news is that having received many quality responses, 103DEC is considering your suggestions and we will report our findings & any future action very soon.

Many thanks indeed to everyone who took the trouble to get in touch: 103DEC & 103 The Eye FM can continue to assist the DEC only with the support & encouragement of our radio listeners. 

Originally posted 16.11.2011