Drought in Somalia might have led to some 43,000 excess deaths in Somalia in 2022, a joint study revealed on Monday.
The study by the Swiss Health Ministry, UNESCO, and WHO indicated that the figure was higher than that of the first year of the 2017–2018 drought crisis, and half of these deaths may have occurred among children under the age of 5.
“The forecast, spanning January to June 2023, estimates that 135 people might also die each day due to the crisis, with total deaths projected to fall between 18 100 and 34 200 during this period,” the study also said.
Commenting on the findings and forecasts of the study, Somalian Health Minister Ali Hadji Adam Abubakar urged international partners and donors to continue to support the health sector in the country to build a resilient health system that would work for everyone.
“We are racing against time to prevent deaths and save lives that are avoidable,” WHO’s representative Mamunur Rahman Malik said.
According to the UN, Somalia is enduring five consecutive seasons of failed rains, the longest in recent decades, which has left 5 million people in acute food insecurity and nearly 2 million children at risk of malnutrition.
The UN also repeatedly announced that it needs more than US$ 2.6 billion to meet the priority needs of 7.6 million people in 2023.
Source: Anadolu Agency