Somalia Drought Appeal 2011

The continuous drought in large parts of the southern Somalia is forcing many to flee their homes. Across the region there are currently 14 million people who are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. This means more than one in five children are exposed to mortality due to lack of malnutrition as well as preventable diseases such as malaria and stunted growth.

Pasture and water supplies are in extremely poor condition and close to a complete depletion in most areas of key pastoral livelihoods across Somalia, according to report from UN agencies. She stated there has been a complete crop failure in southern Africa and many have lost their livelihoods and one in four children is malnourished, this is the highest rate in the world.

This is the time of the year where the Somali people would be busy working on their lands to secure their livelihoods for the rest of the year. But there is no water, and not much hope for this to change in 2011.

A lot of the children are also in crisis with parents fleeing drought and famine to places such as Kenya. Over 1,300 refugees arrive in places like Kenya malnourished and weak especially pregnant women and children. Many are finding this a fight for survival and at the current time it is the worst it ever has been since 60 years.

Disease is spreading fast within the crowded camps, and within the children so weak and their immune systems being so venerable the camp are trying to give thousands of children vaccinations to help prevent them from catching killer diseases. Children are there main priority as they are suffering tremendously.

We are also working in areas such as Mogadishu including Afoye, Mandera, Dabaad in Kenya and the Somali border. We also have orphans in the Mogadishu area burao city areas.

We also have partners working along with us such as EWADA and East African Welfare and Development Association.

There has been over 1.8 Million children affected by this current crisis, and approximately more than 29,000 children have already died due to the disaster.