Skip to main content
Mar 12, 2017

A crisis in Africa

Mike Allen
Acutely malnourished Sacdiyo Mohamed, 9 months old, is treated at the Banadir Hospital in Somalia yesterday after her mother, Halima Hassan Mohamed, fled the drought in southern Somalia and traveled by car to the capital, Mogadishu / AP's Mohamed Sheikh Nor

"20 million at risk of starvation in world's largest [humanitarian] crisis since 1945, UN says," by CNN's Faith Karimi:

  • The scope: "UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien pleaded with the world to come to the rescue of Kenya, Yemen, South Sudan and Somalia. 'We stand at a critical point in history. Already at the beginning of the year we are facing the largest humanitarian crisis since the creation of the UN'" in 1945.
  • Terror group stealing food: "The drought, impending famine and the presence of terrorist group Al-Shabaab have left [Somalia] and its people in a desperate situation ... "Al-Shabaab blocks the roads, there is no access for food aid, the Shabaab steal food.
  • The numbers: "In Somalia, more than 6 million people are in need of food assistance -- more than half the population. ... In neighboring Kenya, more than 2.7 million people are at risk of starvation, and that number could go up to 4 million by next month ... South Sudan, where a famine was recently declared, has more than 7.5 million people in need of assistance -- more than half of whom have been displaced ... in Yemen, more than 7 million people are severely food insecure."

More details in the full UN statement.

Go deeper