Somalis die of thirst in drought

[surria]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4719296.stm

People in southern Somalia are starting to die from thirst in the worst drought in over 40 years in some parts of the country, says aid agency Oxfam.
Oxfam says assessment teams found seven people who died of dehydration, and that tens of thousands are now at risk.

People are surviving on the equivalent of three glasses of water a day, in temperatures of over 40C (100F).

Oxfam reports an almost unprecedented situation, where people beg for water along the sides of the road.

All surface water has gone, boreholes are running dry, and people are walking up to 70km (45 miles) in search of water.

The 830 ml available per person per day has to be used for drinking, cooking and washing.

"The situation is as bad as I can remember. Some people are dying and children are drinking their own urine because there is simply no water available for them to drink," Somali village elder Abdullahi Maalim Hussein told Oxfam.

Relief effort

Schools and local groups have collected $100,000 - a large sum in an impoverished country - to pay for a relief effort.

On Wednesday 10 water tankers left the capital, Mogadishu, with supplies for the worst hit regions in the south.

Oxfam says it will launch a similar operation next week but is predicting that without water supplies more children will die.

"The situation will get worse unless swift action is taken," said Mohamed Elmi, Oxfam Regional Programme Manager.

"People cannot survive on just three glasses of water a day when the temperature is hitting 40 degrees."

Relief efforts in Somalia are made difficult by a lack of proper roads and the absence of a functioning central government, with control of the country divided among rival militia groups.

The World Meterological Association has warned the Horn of Africa will remain in the grip of a drought until at least April.

The United Nations estimates more than 11m people in parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Tanzania and Burundi need food aid for the next six months.

[ChaneL-Lover]

[Basra-]

Do U have to depress us???? I mean-- do u purposely go out there in the internet wild to search for news that will make you a little sad??? Heloooooooooooooo???

[fagash_killer]

let them die if the goverment dont do any jack let them die its just an punishment of allah no wonder why some malis in the west ore even in the islamic countrie malis are beeing jailed killed raped for the fun hey they think like in somalia you guys dont got any freedom no legal goverment and shit well than feel the pain and i dont really blaim them

[Galol]

Surria

You just depressed me. Oh why did the Gods create the Somali?

[kambuli]

Surria,

Thanks walaal for sharing with us the agony, hunger and thirsty that our people are experiencing. May Allaah have mercy on them and bestow them with rain and blessings.

[Gacalisa]

thanks for telling us this we really need to know, and maybe we might someday come to our senses and help each other out, and come on people be happy that some one is actually researching about how somalia is.

[dhuusa_deer]

Sad indeed. Even sadder is the fact someone dies of hunger EVERY 3.2 secs. Makes you appreciate how easily dispensable life is, doesn't it.

[Toy Soldier]

May Allah have mercy on all of them.

Still this site is full of ppl who practice the one thing that turn our country like that (Qabyaalad)

[LionHeart-112]

^^^what's even sadder is that you get to drink while good and decent people die of thirst.