TRAGIC

Somalia: 110 Dead From Hunger in Past 48 Hours

In a single region.

Somalia announced Saturday that 110 people in a single region have died from famine in the past 48 hours as the country struggles with a severe drought. Speaking at a meeting with the Somali National Drought Committee, Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said the death toll is from the Bay region in the southwest area of the country, the Associated Press reported. The country declared a national disaster over the situation on Tuesday, saying that thousands were flocking to Mogadishu in the hopes of finding food. The government has warned that the widespread hunger “makes people vulnerable to exploitation, human rights abuses and to criminal and terrorist networks.” The United Nations appealed for $4.4 million in aid last month to avoid famine in Somalia, as well as Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen. In Somalia alone, the U.N. has warned that at least 5 million people are affected by famine, many of them children.