In an overcrowded displaced persons camp in southern Somalia, survival is their only concern.
In this shelter in Ladan, in the old town of Dollow, displaced people who fled the drought that ravaged vast areas of the country have lost their crops and livestock.
Far from thinking about the war in the Middle East, it is nevertheless this conflict that is driving up fuel costs and disrupting the delivery of supplies needed to operate the camp.
“We faced a very severe drought that destroyed our livestock and farms and almost cost us our lives. As you can see, my daughter is suffering from malnutrition. It was only after we arrived at this center that her condition began to improve, but the effects of the drought are considerable,” said Mumino Abdi, a mother affected by the drought.
UNICEF aid workers in Ladan say the ongoing war in the Middle East has made their work more difficult by disrupting supplies. The organization says it has $15.7 million worth of vital supplies—including therapeutic food, vaccines, and mosquito nets—in transit or being prepared for delivery to Somalia. But those shipments are now uncertain.
“What we are seeing is that children are already on the brink, and that’s due to the drought and the crisis in some areas. And now they are experiencing another shock like this, namely what is happening in the Middle East. It’s a shock to the system because it means we can no longer get supplies to them as easily and fuel costs are extremely high. So it’s just another problem we have to try to deal with, and it means more and more children are going to suffer,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director.
According to the United Nations, transport costs could increase by 30% to 60%, or even double on some routes, while delays caused by route changes and accumulated delays become more likely.
Meanwhile, more than 400 health and nutrition centers have closed across Somalia over the past year, primarily due to US budget cuts.
