Somalia has been very unfortunate to suffer from a combination of Climate crises one after the other. The country faces severe drought which destroyed the crops that results its population at risk of famine. But the war in Ukraine made the crisis indefinable. African countries import half their wheat from Russia and Ukraine. Almost all the wheat in Somalia comes from Ukraine and Russia, they are the top suppliers of wheat but the war between the countries making sufferer the people of Somalia.
A statement from United Nations tells that nearly 13 million people there are already facing food crisis amidst an ongoing drought. Moreover, near abbot 1.5 million children in Somalia below age five are suffering from malnutrition. And it has been predicted that 366,000 of them may not survive till the end of September of this year, reported by various news source. There are eight districts that are already in IPC 5 the famine situation which is catastrophic. And the number is gradually increase if we are not able to scale up our response plan.
Baidoa, which is in one of the steep hit areas in central Somalia. There has been seen, parents having walked for 250 kilometers, to save one child from dying from acute severe innutrition, bringing them to the therapeutic feeding stations in Baidoa town. They had more children at home who unfortunately not been able to escape these drought-stricken areas. It’s really heart wrenching. Though it is a devastating drought, which is coming after four failed rainy seasons, that indicate climate change. It’s the climate change that is the effect of industrialized world, and that causes death of the children of Somalia, the people who have less contribute on climate change.
However, there is no doubt drought is the effect of climate change which has an impact on agriculture results food shortage, but the war in Ukraine ferment the situation. Since Somalia’s 90% of wheat came from both Ukraine and Russia but because of war that is gone. Hence Somalia’s trade is now in contest with Norwegians and Swiss and others, who can afford high prices. It is a noticeable thing that, this two external factors: the effect of climate change, that leads to the drought and the war in Europe, that expedite to an exploding price. From this it can be presume that the two external factors— exploding prices for food, that is really causing this massive famine. Hence none of these two factors were caused by the people. And we’re hoping that the G7 nations, including the U.S., now in Germany this weekend, will stand by their pledge at the moment of crisis, not allowing biblical famines in this century.
