Children’s charity UNICEF has issued an emergency appeal amid warnings that hundreds of thousands of children in northern Somalia are at risk of severe malnutrition.
The region is facing a food crisis caused by a serious drought that has seen no rain over the past six months.
UNICEF has warned that the drought has seen farmers losing their livestock and crops and families displaced throughout the country – while ongoing conflict in certain regions is creating access difficulties and further displacement.
While a total of 1.4 million children are facing acute malnutrition in Somalia, UNICEF expects to treat 275,000 for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) – the life-threatening stage of malnutrition.
Children who receive proper treatment for SAM have a 93% survival rate.
UNICEF Ireland director Peter Power is currently on the ground in northern Somalia on a fact finding mission.
He told Newstalk that the failure of the rains before Christmas has seen up to 50% of the livestock in region perish over the past six months.