Somalia nears famine
14 December 2022Today's IPC Somalia report projects famine in parts of Somalia between April and June 2023 unless humanitarian assistance is urgently scaled up.
Responding to today’s IPC Somalia report, which projects famine in parts of south central Somalia between April and June 2023 unless humanitarian assistance is urgently scaled up, Sadia Allin, Head of Mission for Plan International in Somalia and Somaliland said:
“It is devastating that children in parts of Somalia are on the brink of famine. It should never come to this. Children are already dying from hunger. International action is still urgently needed. Without it, thousands more children will lose their lives needlessly and countless others will face other dangers and rights violations such as rape, violence and early marriage.
“We urgently need more support from donors so that we can continue to reach more children, especially girls, and their families before it’s too late.”
Sadia Allin, Head of Mission for Plan International in Somalia and Somaliland
“As is so often the case, girls and young women will be the hardest hit by this crisis. When food is scarce, girls often eat less and they eat last. They are more likely than boys to be taken out of school to help find food, to face gender-based violence or to be married early to reduce the number of mouths their families need to feed.
“Nothing is more painful than for a mother to watch helplessly as her child is starving. We have met mothers who don’t have a single grain to feed their children and have resorted to boiling water so the child will think they have a meal. Others have married their daughters as young as 14 years old in exchange for help.
“We urgently need more support from donors so that we can continue to reach more children, especially girls, and their families before it’s too late.”
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