The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that Somalia, a country that is riddled with civil strife, a strong Al-Qaeda presence, and has been without a strong central government since 1991, has many regions sliding closer to famine. The Voice of America notes:
She says up to 50 percent of children in southern regions of Somalia are malnourished. And, adults too are malnourished because of lack of food. She says bad nutrition leads to bad health. She says there is a remarkable increase in measles and waterborne diseases also are on the rise.
WHO has recorded more than 50,000 cases of acute watery diarrhea and cholera since January. Everard says there is no breakdown as to the number of cholera cases. But, adds the disease is under control. She says there is no cholera epidemic because WHO has set up a good monitoring system. Two days ago, the United Nations declared two regions in southern Somalia as suffering from famine. Everard says a third region also is affected and famine appears to be spreading to other regions as well. “We have declared only three regions in south Somalia. But, the five others are on the brink of also being seen as a famine. So, these areas indeed appear to be coming to a full-blown famine if we are not responding from now on to this enormous crisis,” she said.
