The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has stated that an estimated 5.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, including over three million children, due to the combined devastating impact of floods, the locust invasion, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Development Diaries understands that children are more susceptible to waterborne diseases as a result of the flooding and severe malnutrition due to food shortages.
The Deputy Representative of UNICEF Somalia, Jesper Moller, said, ‘Somalia is one of the most fragile nations in the world – a country that has experienced decades of conflict, cyclical drought, and floods. Now, to compound the situation, the impact of the locust invasion and the Covid-19 pandemic means the international community has to act fast to help save the lives of millions of Somali families, especially the most vulnerable, the children’.
Moller also said, ‘In the recent month, there has been an upsurge in cases of acute watery diarrhoea/cholera. To further exacerbate the situation, while the immediate impact of the locust invasion is on crop production, which is projected to be ten to 15 percent lower than the long-term average, the secondary impact will be on children with an anticipated increase of children being severely malnourished due to food shortages’.
UNICEF, the government of Somalia and local partners have partnered to prevent and mitigate the spread of the virus and also provide life-saving assistance to those desperately in need.
Nearly one million vulnerable people, it was gathered, have received critical hygiene items, including access to safe water, and over 500,000 women and children have been provided with basic health and nutritional services in flood-impacted communities and camps for the internally displaced.
In addition, more than 500,000 households have been visited by social mobilisers to raise awareness of Covid-19 prevention measures.
Source: Radio Dalsan
Photo source: UNICEF Ethiopia
