More horror stories from the Horn of Africa, where an estimated 12 million people hit by famine continues. UN warns that millions will die if not militant, Islamic groups will open up that relief can arrive. But that will only solve some of the issues on a temporary basis.
– We are at risk of famine, which has already cost thousands their lives, will spread to five or six more regions, said Emergency Relief Coordinator in FC, Valerie Amos.
Drought and food deprivation have send millions especially mothers with children on the run and away from armed conflict in the north.
– It is difficult to imagine how the mothers must leave some of their children while they wander for weeks in hopes of finding safety, says Amos was quoted on Tuesday.
Whether they succeeded to reach refugee camps, for example in Kenya, that is a part of the world which also is severely hit by the drought so even there they are not sure of getting food or security.
– We know that 80 percent of those who come to the camps are women with children. We get constant information about women experiencing sexual assault and rape on their way to the camps. They are more vulnerable when they go on long walks without male family member, says Secretary General of CARE Norway, Torild Skogsholm to the online newspaper www.netavisen.no.
There are also reports that women are forced to provide sex to get a little food.
– We know that it happens, but it is difficult to find numbers on it when women do not want to stand up and talk about it, says Skogsholm. We know from the crisis in 2007 that the problems of ‘Sex for Food’ are quite comprehensive.
Se continues I feel the need to encourage anyone involved in emergency relief in the area to be aware of this problem also. This can be prevented if anything were done now, she says.
– What can we do? We are afraid. Some of the men helping to stand guard at night yet were our neighbors raped, Mohamud said to AP.
She talks about how women in the camp – which is designed for 90,000 people, but now living around 440,000 – go together every time they have to leave the shed, for example. to go to the toilet or other activities were one is normally is alone.
The UN has declared famine in three new areas in Somalia so that the total number of areas affected is at five. This means that at least two adults or four children per 10,000 inhabitants die of starvation every day and that 30 percent suffer from acute malnutrition.
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