Nairobi, Kenya: The United Nations children’s agency says it has treated more than 56,000 severely malnourished children in Somalia so far this year, an increase of almost 90 per cent over last year.
Unicef spokeswoman Marixie Mercado said Tuesday the agency has no estimates on the possible death toll as the Horn of Africa country faces widespread drought.
Unicef pointed to the “triple threat of drought, disease and displacement” facing children in Somalia.
Around 615,000 Somalis, the vast majority women and children, have been displaced by the drought since November.
The United Nations has said roughly 20 million people are at risk of famine across Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria and Yemen in the biggest humanitarian crisis since the world body was founded in 1945.
