Somalia drought: 110 people died in 48 hours

Famine and diarrhea have killed 110 people in southern Somalia in the past two days, according to Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire. These are the first deaths since the government announced the drought as a "national disaster" earlier this week.

At a meeting with the Somalia National Drought Committee on March 4, Prime Minister Khaire confirmed the deaths were all citizens in the southwestern Gulf of the East African nation.

Severe drought is killing Somalia.(Photo: Twitter).

"It is a difficult situation for their livestock and livestock. Some are affected by hunger and diarrhea at the same time. In the past 48 hours, 110 people have died of starvation and diarrhea. Bay.

The Somalia government will try to solve this problem best. We call on all Somali citizens wherever they can to help and save those who are dying, " Khaire said during the meeting.

Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire presided over a drought meeting on March 4.(Photo: Twitter).

Somalia is on the brink of starvation, with 6.2 million people at risk of starvation, according to humanitarian agencies. Thousands of people have migrated to the capital Mogadishu to find food, causing an overload.

On Tuesday, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo announced a drought as a "national disaster", just a week after he took office. He also urged all stakeholders to respond more effectively to limit the threat of starvation.

Somali people struggle to find food and water in the drought disaster.(Photo: Twitter).

Cattle die from drought.(Photo: Twitter).

Clean water is extremely scarce.(Photo: Twitter).

The International Organization for Migration also recorded "disturbing similarities" between the latest crisis and in 2011, claiming more than 260,000 lives.

Drought causes cattle to die in mass, many people are struggling in the absence of food and water. UN experts warn that the lack of clean water will lead to a threat called cholera.

Last month, UNICEF warned that nearly 1.4 million children are at risk of dying from hunger in Somalia, Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen. The agency also expressed concern that the number of malnourished children in Somalia could jump from 185,000 to 270,000 in the next few months.

In addition, children lacking schools are also one of the consequences of drought, which can lead to a third of students drop out completely.