1/4 of Somalia’s population displaced by famine
August 02, 2011
One fourth of Somalia’s 9.1 million people have left their homes in search of food, according to a report prepared by Caritas Somalia.
“The search for food and service has resulted in a massive displacement of population, with the migration of farmers and poor peasants, both in south-central Somalia and in Kenya and Ethiopia,” the report states. “A quarter of the population in Somalia is displaced, traveling great distances on foot, by mule, or by using their last savings to get a ride on overcrowded trucks.”
The report adds:
Families fleeing the drought-affected areas are forced to abandon the elderly, the sick, the weakest children and pregnant women. They often have to leave behind the bodies of their loved ones down the road. Those who fail to reach their destination, arrive in appalling conditions: exhausted, malnourished, and stricken with diseases such as malaria and measles. Many of them have been attacked by armed bandits, subjected to all forms of violence, and robbed of their meager possessions
In recent weeks, Pope Benedict has repeatedly called attention to the famine in the Horn of Africa, which has been caused by the worst regional drought in 60 years.
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Further information:
- A quarter of the Somali population is displaced according to a report of Caritas Somalia (Fides)
- Pope underlines urgency of famine in Somalia (CWN, 8/1)
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