Key Highlights:
- Anticipated El Niño climate may negatively affect 1.2 million people in Somalia (FAO).
- Major health risks, including disease outbreaks, are a concern.
- Ongoing conflict leads to widespread displacement.
- In 2023, 569,000 people were displaced due to conflict and insecurity.
- Government offensive in Somalia’s Galmudug state may worsen displacements.
- Cholera remains a significant public health risk, with new cases in Burhakaba district in August 2023.
- A single-dose cholera vaccination campaign covered 589,537 people in 5 districts in Jubaland state.
News in Brief:
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that more than 569,000 people have been displaced by conflict and insecurity in Somalia in the first eight months of 2023.
The WHO said the ongoing counter-insurgency operations by the Somali government against the al-Shabab terror group and the clan disputes have caused instability and displacement in the country.
“Among the 1.42 million newly displaced people nationwide in 2023, 569,000 were displaced by conflict and insecurities,” the WHO said in its latest report released in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
The Somali government has intensified its military operations against al-Shabab, which has been involved in a series of attacks, especially in Mogadishu, central and southern regions.
The WHO said the government’s plan to launch more offensives against al-Shabab in Galmudug state is likely to worsen the displacement situation.
Last year, conflict, drought, and floods displaced more than 3.8 million people within Somalia and into neighboring countries, with most of them living in Banadir, Galgaduud, Gedo, and Hiran regions in Somalia, according to the UN agency.
The UN said conflict and climate hazards continue to drive up humanitarian needs in Somalia with more than 8 million people currently requiring humanitarian assistance.
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