‘There is not enough food. The situation is dire’: Somalia’s drought crisis – in pictures

People shelter from the sun under a yellowed myrrh tree as they wait to see a health worker at a mobile clinic at a camp for displaced people near Luglow, southern Somalia. More than 300,000 people have left their homes this year in search of food and water. Three consecutive failed rainy seasons since October 2020 have destroyed crops and killed livestock. People are also being displaced by ongoing violence in the country.

Madina Ibrahim Hilowle’s three-year-old son has been sick for six months. He has already been treated at a health centre in nearby Kismayo, but is ill again. ‘He has diarrhoea, he is vomiting and he has a high fever. I’m very worried, I don’t have enough food to give him. The situation is deteriorating by the day.’

Houses at the camp are made of twigs tied together to form dome structures. Blankets, tarpaulins and pieces of fabric are fastened to the structure to provide shade and shelter.

Children play in the branches that have been placed around the houses. About 1.4 million children under five are estimated to be acutely malnourished in Somalia. More than a quarter of the population needs urgent food aid.

Jerrycans are lined up along the road waiting for the water trucks to arrive at Luglow. Pieces of cloth are tied around the handles so people know which is theirs.

‘Before the drought, the rains were sometimes late,’ says Haleema Abdullahi Abdi (centre). ‘But we never had three consecutive seasons without any rain. Because of that, we have lost all of our livestock. We came here to survive. We used to be a happy, dignified family. We had enough money to not only support our own family but also other families. It saddens me that now, I’m begging from other people.’ Abdullahi Abdi arrived at the Luglow three days earlier. ‘There is not enough food. The situation is dire. But only getting water is already better than dying on the countryside.’

Eleven children with severe malnutrition have been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at the health centre in Kismayo. Abshir Adan Mohamed, a doctor at the centre, says: ‘They are among the 57 children we now have in our wards. All of them are showing signs of malnutrition, like skin infections, rashes and swollen bellies.’ He says the number of children coming to the health facility has increased. ‘It doesn’t give me a good feeling when I see patients coming back. Many parents simply cannot afford food, which means the patients return with malnutrition issues.’

Abdelkader Haji has brought his two-year-old son, Muridi, to the health centre for treatment.

Mothers and children in a ward at the health centre in Kismayo.

Haawo Abass was told to take her son, Abdelnasr, to the centre by medics at Luglow mobile clinic. Abdelnasr, who is 16 months old, suffers from kwashiorkor, also called protein malnutrition, which is a severe form of malnutrition. It causes a skin condition that can lead to pigmentary changes.

Maryam Hassan, who is 14 months, sleeps on a bed in the ICU. She is recovering from oedematous malnutrition, the most severe form of kwashiorkor, which has a high fatality rate among children. The main sign is too much fluid in the body’s tissues, which causes swelling under the skin.

Hawo Abdi breastfeeds her son Adan Isaac, 11 months, at a health centre in Baidoa, about 150 miles north of Mogadishu. Adan is malnourished and will get a mix of breastmilk and formula until he is strong enough to go home. Adan and his mother are from a small village called Durow. ‘Life there is very hard,’ Abdi says. “A lot of people have already left. My husband and I are on the verge of joining my fellow villagers and come to the IDP camps. When my son is doing better, I will go back home and discuss this matter with my husband. But I already know he doesn’t want to leave yet.’

Bones of dead animals on the outskirts of Goobweyn, a village south of Luglow.

An estimated 700,000 camels, cows, goats, sheep and cattle have died during the drought in just two months, according to Save the Children.

‘I arrived here yesterday evening with my four children,’ says Neema Abdi at a camp in Baidoa. ‘They are very tired. We spent 10 days on the road before we got here and we didn’t have enough food and water. I worried a lot – I was afraid that I would not be able to feed my children. We used to have a small farm, but our crops have failed because of the drought. Then, my husband got sick, so we had to sell everything to cover his medical bills.’ Her husband died. ‘After I lost my farm and later my husband, I became dependent on the support of good samaritans.’

New arrivals at the camp in Baidoa wait to receive food and medical assistance.