In Somalia today, 7.5 million people are facing food shortages, while more than 200,000 people are at risk of famine, with numbers expected to rise dramatically in the next few months.
Climate change as well as the effects of the war in Ukraine and the pandemic have caused supply issues and high food prices. Worse, combatants in Somalia are blocking food deliveries, turning food insecurity into deadly famine. United Nations experts estimate that famine will spread in Somalia between October and December.
However, all of this is preventable. There are interventions that can save lives. We have the technology to deliver food supplies to every corner of the world. Action is needed now before more people die. Without imminent humanitarian aid and food delivered to areas in conflict, millions in Somalia could suffer and die from starvation. Too often the world waits until the body count increases, but the signs are there and we can intervene successfully before mass death.
We must mobilise now against hunger – not only with food to meet immediate needs but also with plans to reduce violence and conflict in the region, which will help stave off future famines.
Helene Sinnreich
Knoxville, Tennessee, US
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication.
