Famine and cholera epidemic in Somalia

Somalia is threatened by a famine cholera epidemic

15/08/2011

In addition to the current famine, a cholera epidemic threatens the population of Somalia. Since the beginning of the year, more than 4,000 patients in Somalia have been treated for dangerous diarrhea, with the number of illnesses increasing by eleven percent in the last few weeks alone, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports..

According to the WHO, in the African state, which is already beset by the famine catastrophic disease, children under the age of five are currently suffering from the infectious disease cholera. 181 cholera patients have already died. Given the significant increase in reported illnesses in the past week, may „that is, from a cholera epidemic“ said WHO employee Michel Yao.

Famine causes refugee flows
The famine in Somalia has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and triggered massive flows of refugees towards neighboring Kenya and the capital Mogadishu. Hoping to get some water and food here, some 100,000 people have fled to Mogadishu in recent months, 440,000 to Kenya. At present, almost half a million people have fled the capital of Somalia, fleeing here from other parts of the country. As the cause of the current famine, the experts call the ongoing drought years, which is also recorded in regions of Kenya and Ethiopia. In addition, the ongoing violent conflicts between rebellious militias and the disputed central government have contributed significantly to the current disaster. For example, since the beginning of 2010, various international aid organizations can no longer operate in the south of Somalia for security reasons, since the Al-Shabab militia is in charge here. As one of the few aid organizations still active in the area, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has therefore continued to expand its activities in support of around 1.1 million people living in southern Somalia.

Refugee streams increase the risk of epidemics
But the efforts of the aid organizations could not avert the famine, and so are currently pulling hundreds of thousands of people in refugee flows across the country. These flows of refugees bring with them an increased risk of epidemics, warns now the World Health Organization. Cholera outbreaks have already been reported from several regions of Somalia, and last week the number of patients requiring medical treatment for the cholera-type extreme diarrhea increased from 3,839 to 4,272. An increase of eleven percent, which according to the WHO employee Michel Yao, is a clear indication of the outbreak of a cholera epidemic. The cholera bacteria are usually transmitted via faecal contaminated drinking water and cause extreme diarrhea and vomiting (gastroenteritis). For children and already weakened persons a cholera infection is quite life-threatening, as the massive fluid loss may result in a fluid deficiency and further health complaints, such as pneumonia, parotid gland inflammation or blood poisoning threaten as consequences of cholera infection, explained the expert. To date, 181 people have died as a result of the bacterial infection in Somalia as a result of the current spread of cholera, with children under the age of five among the victims, WHO reports.

Twelve million people threatened by hunger
More than twelve million people are currently at risk of starvation in the East African state, including two million children, according to the WHO. Tens of thousands have already died as a result of malnutrition, and more than half a million children could starve to death in the coming week, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), if international aid did not respond quickly. „We can save lives if we act now“, said UNICEF spokeswoman Marixie Mercado. However, the call for donations of the United Nations over $ 2.4 billion so far has fallen far short of expectations and have so far contributed only half of the planned sum. However, according to WHO experts, swift action is not only due to the famine itself, but also because the cholera epidemic could otherwise reach a level that would also affect tens of thousands of Somalis. The population urgently needs access to clean drinking water in order to prevent a further increase in cholera infections. (Fp)

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Image: Cornelia Menichelli