Hundreds of starving Somalis flee to Mogadishu

Abdirahman Ahmed Ali, district officer of Garasbalay in Mogadishu said the number of drought-displaced families arriving in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital has increase in the past two weeks.

Ali said hundreds of Somalis have converged on Mogadishu in search of food, water, shelter and other assistance.

“The drought displacement has caused a livelihood emergency in many parts of Garasbalay locality because the numbers of new arrivals are so high and this has made the situation difficult even for the displaced that have been here for long,” said Ali.

He said they are escaping from drought and famine in their home areas in south and central Somalia.

“They don’t have Food, clean water and shelter, they live in desolate places, it must be helped otherwise we may see people dying starvation” Ali said.

He said the local officials who visited the cams saw alarming scenes of hordes of hungry, desperate people pushing and shoving to get whatever food was available.

Pastoralist families are facing a serious shortage of water and pastures after several water points dried up the last few months as a result of dry spell that has hit in many parts of Somalia.

Thousands of Somalis have fled the countryside in search of food and water, trekking for days under scorching sun toward camps in major towns.