Horn of Africa Drought

The current emergency unfolding in and around Somalia is being portrayed by many aid organizations and the media in one-dimensional terms, such as “famine in the Horn of Africa” or “worst drought in 60 years.” But only blaming natural causes ignores the complex geopolitical realities exacerbating the situation and suggests that the solution lies in merely finding funds and shipping enough food to the Horn of Africa.

Throughout the summer, waves of Somalis set out on desperate, arduous journeys, braving desert heat, hunger, and bandits to seek relief from a catastrophe remarkable even by the standards of this long-troubled country.

In this issue of Alert, we share news and images of our response to the ongoing crisis in Somalia, where MSF has spent the summer trying to expand its services to meet the latest emergency to befall the country’s people.

Since July, more than 150,000 Somalis have left the provinces of the country's central region to seek refuge in Mogadishu.

MSF and VII Photo have launched a four-city tour of "Starved for Attention," a free interactive, multimedia exhibit in which some of the world's top photojournalists highlight the global crisis of malnutrition.

Restrictions and security concerns continue to hinder MSF's attempts to reach the most vulnerable populations in Somalia.

Dr. Faiza Adan Abdirahman, the medical doctor in charge of the pediatric department at Istarlin hospital in Galgaduud, discusses the situation in the area.

As the number of malnourished children continues to rise, it is clear that more assistance is necessary for the already vulnerable Somali population.

Duncan McLean, MSF program manager for Somalia, talks about the difficulties of working in Somalia today.

An interview with Hussein Sheikh Qassim is the Medical Activities Manager in the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hospital in Marere, southern Somalia.

MSF staff recently returned from Mogadishu discuss what they saw there and the issues the humanitarian response to the ongoing crisis must address.

Nearly 120,000 Somali refugees are now taking shelter in Ethiopia's Liben region, in camps originally built to house less than half their number.

MSF has sent medical teams and four charter planes carrying 55 tons of medical equipment, medicines and therapeutic food to respond the crisis affecting the Somali population.

MSF teams working in Marere, in southern Somalia, are distributing relief items to thousands of displaced Somalis who have found temporary shelter in the nearby town of Jilib.

MSF is deeply concerned by the relocation of Somali refugees in Dadaab to the Ifo 3 camp, a move marked by a pronounced lack of transparency, planning, and consultation.

"What is new is that people are now fleeing the rural areas simply because they have no more food to eat.”

The average in the villages where MSF screened children for malnutrition was 23 percent; one village in Lapur division had a 37 percent rate of global acute malnutrition.

MSF is seeing a dramatic effect on the Somali population—both those in Somalia and the many who have fled to overcrowded camps in Dadaab, Kenya, and parts of Ethiopia.