By CGTN's Jerry Owilli
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has warned of the severity of drought in Somalia, which may place 1.4 million acutely-malnourished children at risk of life threatening diseases by the end of the year.
The figure indicates a rise of 50% from late last year.
275,000 children will be severely affected.
A Somali child receives treatment at a hospital in Baidoa, west Somalia's capital Mogadishu, March 26, 2017. /VCG Photo
The UNICEF says these children are nine times risky for cholera, diarrhea or measles.
The warning comes as Somalia faces the threat of its third famine in 25 years.
The dire food situation has forced more than 615,000 people to flee their homes since November.
The UN has appealed for 720 million US dollars to aid Somalia. So far it’s received 415 million dollars.
In the 2011 famine, at least 260,000 people died, half of whom were children under age five.
8266km
