Fleeing drought, hunger, thousands trek to Somalia’s capital

By MOHAMED SHEIKH NOR
Associated Press

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Thousands of desperate families have fled a severe drought across large parts of Somalia, seeking food and water in camps for displaced people outside the capital, Mogadishu. Somalia’s government has declared a state of humanitarian emergency due to the drought, with the worst affected parts including the south-central areas of Lower Jubba, Geddo and Lower Shabelle regions. This week the United Nations World Food Program warned that 13 million people in the Horn of Africa, including parts of Ethiopia and Kenya, face severe hunger in the first quarter of 2022. The agency called for immediate assistance to avoid a major humanitarian crisis. The Horn of Africa has long been vulnerable to drought and hunger conditions often exacerbated by armed violence.