Famine is fast approaching in Somalia and more than 700,000 people could face starvation next year, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Tuesday, citing the latest Integrated Food Security Phase (IPC) analysis.
"Sustained levels of at-scale support will be required well into mid to late 2023, if we are to prevent, not just delay famine," FAO Representative in the Somalia Etienne Peterschmitt said, describing the situation in the country as dire.
"Real action needs to be taken not only to help communities meet their immediate needs, but also so they can adapt their livelihoods and build resilience in the face of climate crises and economic shocks, preparing them for whatever the future may bring," he said.
FAO plans to reach over a million more people in the coming months but will need additional funds for its operations, including to assist communities in hard-to-reach and inaccessible rural areas.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that some areas in Somalia will suffer famine during 2023 if the international community does not increase humanitarian support and expand aid, especially in the health, water, sanitation, and hygiene sectors.
According to United Nations estimates, more than 6 million people in Somalia suffer from acute food insecurity, and there are 1.4 million children suffering from acute malnutrition, while the drought led to the displacement of 759,000 people, 500,000 of them in the first three months of 2022.
