War and famine: UN says 8 million children may die of hunger, time to save them is running out

UN workers have reported that children in Somalia are “dying before our eyes” as severe malnutrition grips the country amid the worst famine in 40 years and inflation caused by the Ukraine war. The World Food Programme (WFP) has said that massive and urgent donations would be needed “if there was any hope to avoid a catastrophe in the horn of Africa”.

Michael Dunford, the WFP’s regional director for east Africa said: “Will we able to avert [a famine in Somalia]? Unless there is … a massive scaling-up from right now, it won’t be possible, quite frankly. The only way, at this point, is if there is a massive investment in humanitarian relief, and all the stakeholders, all the partners, come together to try to avert this.”

UNICEF reported on Thursday that 8 million children below the age of 5 years were at the risk of dying due to undernourishment in 15 countries including Somalia, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Haiti and Yemen.

As world leaders gather for the G7 meet in Germany over June 26-27, UNICEF has pressed for an immediate $1.2 billion aid package because “there is no time to waste”. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said, “Waiting for famine to be declared is waiting for children to die.”

What is causing hunger?

Millions of people in the world, and particularly those in east Africa, are facing the risk of starvation primarily because of climate change induced droughts. The horn of Africa, which includes countries like Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, has seen three successive years of failed rains leading to large-scale famine. These countries are also afflicted by decades of conflict and poor governance. Besides, the Covid-19 pandemic and price shocks due to the Ukraine war have dealt a crippling blow to the nations where prices for daily essentials have soared.

Somalia, which is the worst affected, gets 90% of its wheat, a staple diet, from Ukraine. The prices of cooking oil, beans, rice and sugar have also doubled due to supply shortages.

This is not Somalia’s first food crisis but international aid workers had believed they would be better prepared for this one.

The largest crisis in Somalia happened in 1992 and killed 300,000 people when political rivals used food as a weapon of war. Lessons are fresh from the more recent famine in 2010-2012 which killed 260,000 people but these learnings failed in the face of reduced funding.

The Guardian reported that in April, the UN had received only 3 per cent of funds for its $6bn appeal for Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan. The UK has in fact slashed its contribution for foreign aid by £4.6bn last year.

Why is this crisis different?

Somalia has been a foreign aid dependent country but finds this year that the gap between aid it is likely to get and what it needs will become wider since its usual donors like the European countries, US and UK are engaged with the war in Ukraine.

Abdinasir Abdi Aruush, South West state’s minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management told The Guradian: “In 2011, the world was conscious of the situation here, which resulted in a swift humanitarian response which saved many lives. This time around, nobody is interested because they are focusing on the war in Ukraine. People must stand up in solidarity with the starving in Somalia and other parts of the Horn of Africa. Our government must also come up with plans to prevent future disasters.”