With five regions in Somalia already declared famine zones, the the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization reported on Aug. 3 that famine is likely to spread across all regions of Somalia’s south and that famine conditions may persist until December. Potentially more than 11 million people in the region could be affected by the famine, brought on by escalating food costs and the worst drought in half a century. More than 3.2 million are in need of immediate, life-saving assistance. According to the Jesuit Refugee Service, the current crisis is the consequence of the extreme drought and other overlapping problems, including the lack of a functioning central government in Somalia and the inability of aid agencies to gain access to south central Somalia, which is controlled by the al-Shabab militant group. In Ethiopia, a humanitarian effort led by Catholic Relief Services is ramping up; now feeding 400,000 people, it should reach one million later this month.
Famine in Somalia
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
Pope Francis warned against contemplative orders using defensive, nostalgic strategies “when it comes to reflecting on a whether a monastery should be saved or abandoned, on community life or about vocations.”
Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle analyze the reported forthcoming appointment of Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Benedict XVI’s longtime secretary and how it fits into the archbishop’s often publicly tumultuous relationship with Pope Francis.
A Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, by Father Terrance Klein
Hybrid schools offer greater flexibility, which can allow students to pursue other interests like robotics or nature studies or simply accommodate a teenager’s preferred sleep schedule.