Famine Still Lingers in Somalia

(Even though the famine declaration has been lifted, families don’t have enough to eat. We’re distributing essentials like rice, beans and cooking oil.)

Q&A with ARC Humanitarian Worker

One year ago, famine was declared in Somalia. Families fled their drought-stricken villages on foot because they didn’t have enough to eat.

The American Refugee Committee responded in Mogadishu last year. We began immediately offering lifesaving aid, like food, clean water and medical care. Because the international community responded with humanitarian aid and were able to improve conditions, the United Nations cancelled the famine declaration early this year.  

But the situation remains dire. About 28 percent of people need food aid to survive. One in five children is malnourished. Even without famine, Somalia remains one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world – and one of the most complex. Because virtually no one is there helping people.

Said Sheik-Abdi, a Somali-American program manager at our headquarters in Minneapolis, has traveled to Somalia several times in the past couple years. He spoke to us via Skype from Mogadishu on the one-year anniversary of the famine.

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What are conditions like now in Somalia? 
“Almost everywhere you drive in Mogadishu, you see scattered camps with people who came to the city to escape famine, war and flooding. They’re living without adequate shelter or other essentials. Because it’s the rainy season, latrines have overflowed, creating a health hazard. They have very little help.   

When the famine was declared, the international community came together and responded very quickly, and within six months, there was no longer famine in Somalia. But the situation is still dire. The last few days I’ve been here and visited camps in Mogadishu, people have constantly asked for food. They don’t have enough to eat. 

Our team is working tirelessly. We’ve been distributing food like rice, oil and beans. All together, more than 22,000 families will receive food assistance.” 

What is the mood of people in Mogadishu? 
“Everyone is excited. The bullets are not flying left and right. It’s much safer than before, and people are now asking international organizations to come and help. There is a lot of construction taking place; the population has increased tremendously. A lot of people who fled the country are coming home and repairing their homes that were damaged during the civil war, which is creating jobs.  

People are also a little anxious about the election coming up in August about whether the transitional federal government will become a permanent government. With a permanent government comes the opportunity to receive more help from the international community.”  

What is the American Refugee Committee doing to help? 
“Besides the food assistance I mentioned earlier, we’re currently employing 300 workers – mostly women – to clean up an area of Mogadishu. They receive $4 a day. They’re using the money they earn to feed their families and provide for their basic needs. 

Our staff is running a cholera treatment center, which is open around the clock. Our medical staff treats people with symptoms of cholera, a contagious disease that can become deadly without medical care. Through oral rehydration solution and IV fluids if necessary, patients receive lifesaving care.

Our health clinics at camps for the displaced continue to treat the sick. Medical staff transports people with more serious conditions to a hospital or cholera treatment center. Families living in camps don’t have transportation, and because many are new to Mogadishu, they might not know where the nearest clinic is located.

At Banadir Hospital, a medical facility for women and children, we’re repairing two damaged rooms. We’re also continuing to run the child-friendly space for siblings of sick children. About 20 to 30 children a day go to the space, receive two meals a day and participate in structured activities.

We’re also working to build four wells and 500 latrines at camps for displaced people to ensure they have access to the sanitation they need.” 

You had the opportunity to see the Somali Olympians train in Mogadishu. What was that like?

“They’re incredible! I talked to them briefly, and they’re were very excited to be representing their country and feel very proud.”