AFRICA/SOMALIA - The number of malnourished children increases: almost a million and a half

Friday, 5 May 2017

Frank Keillor

Mogadishu (Agenzia Fides) - Since the beginning of the year, the number of children affected by malnutrition in Somalia has increased by 50%: one million and 400 thousand. These numbers were released by Unicef, that also pointed out that 275,000 of them are at risk of severe acute malnutrition and are therefore likely to starve. Due to drought, disease, and displacement, about 615,000 people, mostly children and women, were forced to move increasing the risk of death due to cholera, malaria, acute diarrhea or measles.
Since the beginning of the year, Unicef and its partners have cared for over 56,000 malnourished children, almost 90% more than the same period of 2016. Another of the consequences of drought has led to school dropout regarding 40 thousand children sent by parents to look for water or food. There was also an increase in children living on the street and children recruited by armed groups. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 5/5/2017)


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