As per United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) data, more than 20 million people from Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea suffer from food and water shortages.
It is estimated that they need help in the next six months as the Nation spins from one of the poorest climate-induced emergencies of the past 40 years.
From 20 million, many of them are children, who are at greater risk because of the most destructive climate-induced emergencies of the past 40 years.
However, the region is still not prepared to cope with another storm, combining COVID-19, conflict and climate change, said ‘Mohamed M Fall, Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa UNICEF.
According to the Fall, that Nation is already suffering from the straight dry seasons, leading the country to severe water scarcity in the Eastern region, killing livestock and crops, displacing populations, and raising the risk of disease and severe malnutrition.
Some 5.5 million children from these four countries are currently suffering from malnutrition and nearly 1.4 million from severe acute malnutrition. Now, UNICEF is in fear that this count may increase and it would increase by 50 per cent if rains come in the next three months, said Fall.
He also stated that many families are suffering from extreme measures to survive. Many of them left their homes only to survive, which put children on the move, particularly at risk.
He also noted that many children would lose their lives if the world did not get united in a bid to help the situation, and the country desperately needs financial support.
UNICEF’s request is now at 123 million U.S. dollars for these four countries alone to cover life-saving needs for the most vulnerable till the end of June 2022, to control a disaster for children and their families,” he said.
Lastly, he said that their Lives and future depends on it. We must respond as soon as possible. We must work together, And we must work across sectors.”
